The term 'handicapped' has origins in history connected to Old English bartering game.

The term 'handicapped' has origins in history connected to Old English bartering game.

• A. It originated from a medical term.
• B. It is a religious term.
• C. It comes from an Old English bartering game where the loser was left with his 'hand in his cap,' later associated with people at a disadvantage.
• D. It is a nautical term.

Answer: (C)

The term handicap reflects an historical way of describing a disadvantage or challenge in a contest. In an old bartering or betting practice, a participant would place a hand in a cap to stake or owe something, and the arrangement around those bets created a built-in disadvantage or balancing factor for competition. Over time this idea of a “handicap”—an added obstacle or adjustment to level the playing field—was extended to describe someone’s disadvantage in various situations, including the way people with disabilities were described as needing extra consideration. That origin is tied to a historical betting/game practice, not to medical terminology, religious language, or nautical usage.

The term handicap reflects an historical way of describing a disadvantage or challenge in a contest. In an old bartering or betting practice, a participant would place a hand in a cap to stake or owe something, and the arrangement around those bets created a built-in disadvantage or balancing factor for competition. Over time this idea of a “handicap”—an added obstacle or adjustment to level the playing field—was extended to describe someone’s disadvantage in various situations, including the way people with disabilities were described as needing extra consideration. That origin is tied to a historical betting/game practice, not to medical terminology, religious language, or nautical usage.