Word of the Day: April 30, 2009 ~ agitate

agitate (aj-i-teyt) -verb

To agitate is "to move or force into violent, irregular action."

First used in the written form around 1580-1590. Comes from the Latin word agitātus (past participle of agitāre, which means "to set in motion") - frequentative of agere, meaning "to drive, do."

The physical sense of shaking was present from the start in the English word agitate, but so was the more metaphorical 'perturb.'  The notion of political agitation does not emerge until the early 19th century, when the Marquis of Anglesey is quoted as saying to an Irish deputation: "If you really expect success, agitate, agitate, agitate!" In this meaning, a derivative of the Latin agitāre has altered English vs. Russian in agitprop "political propaganda," in which agit is short for agitatsiya or "agitation."

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