[kevinr]

As is only appropriate, given the word's etymology.

> ro·bot (n.) 1923, from English translation of 1920 play "R.U.R." ("Rossum's Universal Robots"), by Karel Capek (1890-1938), from Czech robotnik "forced worker," from robota "forced labor, compulsory service, drudgery," from robotiti "to work, drudge," from an Old Czech source akin to Old Church Slavonic rabota "servitude," from rabu "slave," from Old Slavic orbu-, from PIE orbh- "pass from one status to another" (see orphan).

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=robot

All that's old is new again.

[hedonistbot]

> from Czech robotnik "forced worker," from robota "forced labor, compulsory service, drudgery,"...

I am not sure if this is correct. In Bulgarian we have almost the same word работник (rabotnik) and it just means "worker". No forced, slave connotations. Also checked with google translate and it doesn't find Czech translation for "robotnik" but it suggests to switch to Polish and translates it to "worker" as in Bulgarian. And работа (rabota) means "work" in Bulgarian and google translate shows the same for the Polish translation.

Someone from Czechia here?

[rljy]

It does mean that in Czech. Which is strange, because in Slovak it just means work.

I've translated a paragraph from wikipedia for you:

"Robota neboli poddanství je ve feudálním systému osobní služba sedláků a rolníků pro jejich pány. Robotník je pak výraz pro poddaného robotujícího pro svého pána, někdy též vyššího správního či soudního úředníka, drába apod."

"Robota is a feudal system of personal employment to the owners of estates and country houses. A robotník is a person who works for his/her lord."

https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robota

Edit: I listened to the play by Karel and Josef Čápek, and it is most inanely stupid, sexist, pseudo-religious drivel I've come across in a long while. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R.

Edit2: The verb robit means to make something and has nothing to do with slavery.

[omegaham]

I liked Asimov's quote on it.

> Capek's play is, in my own opinion, a terribly bad one, but it is immortal for that one word. It contributed the word 'robot' not only to English but, through English, to all the languages in which science fiction is now written.

[blacksmith_tb]

Capek's War with the Newts [1] is a little better read (I have only read it in translation, admittedly).

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_with_the_Newts#As_satire_a...

[adamnemecek]

The correct translation is serf/serfdom or corveé.

[striking]

Pole here, can confirm "robotnik" is worker and "robota" is work.