[bspn]

Yes, I believe the origins of the sabbatical are in academia where it was intended to give people the ability to take an extended period of time away from their traditional role and try something different (often travel or an overseas post). This helped keep them fresh and allow them to broaden their range of experience without needing to permanently leave the institution. More recently, the term has been bastardized to a certain extent by start-ups who use it as a form of "bonus vacation" for long-serving team members.