Photo By Kaitlin Knauer | Doc Jargon, cutting through the jargon that is the U.S. Army. Send your Army...... read more read more
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Dear Doc Jargon,
I keep hearing the term “trackin’” used to tell some¬one they understand or to ask if they do. I wonder where it comes from. I know Fort Riley sort of sits at the gate¬way to the Wild West and the mounted cavalry used to be the big thing out here. Could that term have begun when wagon tracks would lead the troopers to the traveling groups and hoof prints would lead the cavalry to the raiding party?
Signed,
Spouse and avid Wild West explorer
Dear Wild West spouse,
Tracking is definitely a term used to ensure there is understanding on both sides of a conversation. It is also used to gauge awareness for upcoming events. For ex¬ample, I might ask you if you were tracking that the next Town Hall meeting is scheduled for May 1 at 12:30 p.m. at Riley’s Conference Center and that anyone could go to see what events are happening throughout the area.
I think you are definitely tracking this word! It comes from a word that in the early 1500s sounded pretty close to today’s version whether it was said in French, Dutch or Low German. And each version meant the same — to read the marks left behind on a trail.
So, though the word and idea came from the same concept, the meaning has definitely morphed to more. The additional definition does imply that someone might be tracking the information that is being laid out before them.
Sincerely,
Doc Jargon
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2022 13:45 |
| Story ID: | 418782 |
| Location: | KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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