Etymology of task
Task comes from the old French tasque from tasche (duty) from the Latin tasca (a duty, assessment) from taxa, which derives from the Greek verb tasso (put in order, evaluate; τάσσω).

From the same root.
taxonomy

French: tache

In modern Greek
a) tasso: put in order [τάσσω]
b) taxinomisi: taxonomy [ταξινόμηση]
c) taxis: order [τάξις]

http://ewonago.blogspot.com/

Good to see you back, John.
How do the passenger vehicles called taxis fit into all this?? (also cabs, or hacks)

Hi Luke.
Good question.
I searched and, as you can see below, the root eventualy is the same.

Taxi: 1907, shortening of taximeter cab (introduced in London in March 1907), from taximeter “automatic meter to record the distance and fare” (1898), from Fr. taximètre, from Ger. Taxameter (1890), coined from M.L. taxa “tax, charge.” An earlier Eng. form was taxameter (1894), used in horse-drawn cabs.

John,

Luke will vouch for my uncritical, yet inquisitive, nature. I don’t doubt the similarities in etymology between “task” and “taxi.” My dictionary suggests the same root for both words. However, since “taxi” didn’t appear in English until hundreds of years after “task,” is there not a point at which two words coming from the same root are nonetheless unrelated, other than their similar roots in Latin or Greek?

Welcome back from me as well, although I don’t think I was here when you left.

Steve

Is there any link between “task”, “taxi” and “trundle”, or is “taxi” an errant verb?

In all fareness, taxi is an errand car. I’ve used them often.

Thanks Steve,
I agree with you that taxi and task are unrelated, although they do have the same etymon.
John

PS. By the way, do you know that your name is Greek?

And do you tip the taxidermist Saparris?

douglang - 08 April 2009 09:47 PM

Is there any link between “task”, “taxi” and “trundle”, or is “taxi” an errant verb?

I’ve used taxis to run errants.

John,

As I understand, it “Paris” is either Greek (considering Helen of Troy, I like that angle), Old French (meaning “from Paris”), or an English variant of “Parish” (suggesting an Ecclesiastical connection). In the Southern part of the US, most of us are Parris or Parrish.

My grandmother once told me not to climb too far up into family tree. Considering my kinfolk, I took her advice.

Steve

Tip the taxidermist? No, he’s stuffy. Wouldn’t even share a cab with him.

How about a hide?

I liked your analogy on taxis, but an errand car is a noun, not a verb - but then, you get two kinds of taxi-drivers, non-verbal and ineffably loquacious.

Steve,
although I do not quite follow you, I would like to say that Steve is the Anglicized form of Stephen,  from L. Stephanus, which is a transliteration of the Gk. Stephanos, from stephanos (crown, garland).

John: Steve is referring to his last name.

Yes, I was referring to my last name. I knew that “Stephen” had Greek roots, but I appreciate your reply. I doubt that my last name has any Greek in its past, even though the etymology suggests that it could. The common people around here come from Scotland and Ireland, and my family is woefullly common.

If both my names were indeed Hellenistic, that would change “all me to Greek.”

“Saparris” is fractually a concantenation of “asparagus ears”.  We shall all look forward to seeing the new avatar.