On pωnage
Attention, citizens of the Internet:
Conventional wisdom holds that the verb "to pwn" and its corresponding noun of action "pwnage" come from use of the "p," rather than the "o" key when quickly typing "own" or "ownage." This prosaic explanation, however, while admittedly elegant in its simplicity, ignores a rich etymological history.
Experts ultimately trace "pwn" back to the Greek verb πωνειν (pōnein), introduced by the warrior-poet Megacles the Leet (Μεγακλης Ληετος, 452-389 BCE). Early mediæval translators of his myriad compositions mistakenly transliterated the lower-case Greek omega as a Latin "w," rather than as a long "o," adding an element of puzzling pronunciation to this already ænigmatic verb. Modern scholars assign it the meaning of "to dominate utterly, whether on the battlefield or in the composition of hexameter verse."
And such domination was indeed Megacles the Leet's stock in trade. Known as a lethal opponent to his foes and a persistent, trollish annoyance even to his friends, his most historically relevant act of obnoxious lulz may have led to the demise of Socrates. Some classical historians believe that Socrates' condemnation was largely a result of the attribution to him of Megacles' infamous meme, "ἐν ταις σαις Ἀθηναις, διαφθειρων τους σους παιδες" ("in ur Athens, corrupting ur youth").
Conventional wisdom holds that the verb "to pwn" and its corresponding noun of action "pwnage" come from use of the "p," rather than the "o" key when quickly typing "own" or "ownage." This prosaic explanation, however, while admittedly elegant in its simplicity, ignores a rich etymological history.
Experts ultimately trace "pwn" back to the Greek verb πωνειν (pōnein), introduced by the warrior-poet Megacles the Leet (Μεγακλης Ληετος, 452-389 BCE). Early mediæval translators of his myriad compositions mistakenly transliterated the lower-case Greek omega as a Latin "w," rather than as a long "o," adding an element of puzzling pronunciation to this already ænigmatic verb. Modern scholars assign it the meaning of "to dominate utterly, whether on the battlefield or in the composition of hexameter verse."
And such domination was indeed Megacles the Leet's stock in trade. Known as a lethal opponent to his foes and a persistent, trollish annoyance even to his friends, his most historically relevant act of obnoxious lulz may have led to the demise of Socrates. Some classical historians believe that Socrates' condemnation was largely a result of the attribution to him of Megacles' infamous meme, "ἐν ταις σαις Ἀθηναις, διαφθειρων τους σους παιδες" ("in ur Athens, corrupting ur youth").