Word of the Week: Tax

Anne Slagill / News Editor / The USD Vista

The word “tax” tends to stir up a wide range of emotions from anger to revolution. Just ask Joe the plumber or an 18th century Frenchman. Even so, logophiles are attracted to the word’s resonance; a lovely ta sound cut short by a final x-stasy. It is not surprising that the word finds its roots in Latin; when all roads lead to Rome, somebody is probably paying through the nose.

According to the Etymology Dictionary, the Latin word “taxare”means “to evaluate, estimate, assess, handle” also “to censure or charge.” Taxation has been carried out for thousands of years and has inspired some of the greatest movements in history.

The practice goes back to Ancient Egypt. By 3,000 B.C.E. Pharaohs were collecting taxes in the form of land or goods. Those who refused to pay could be beaten or put to death. Despite the negative consequences of tax evasion, some dissenters have enjoyed a positive portrayal in history.

It seems that the big ideas behind this tiny word have been shaping history for centuries. Jesus Christ was accused of promoting tax-resistance. 18th century Quakers refused to pay taxes that supported the French and Indian War. The Boston Tea Party, which lent inspiration to the American Revolution, was a protest against taxation.

The famed American tax resister Henry David Thoreau refused to pay because he was opposed to the Mexican-American war. “If a thousand men were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a peaceable revolution, if any such is possible,” Thoreau wrote.