You’d better not be thinking of birds when participating in a round-robin sport tournament.
Since 1895, a ‘round robin’ has described a tournament where each participant or team plays against all others in turn, ensuring a fair and comprehensive competition. And the origin of the phrase is anything but ornithologic, though it had its own peculiar nesting pattern.
The phrase is believed to have originated in the 17th century in nautical settings. Sailors would sign petitions in a circular manner to avoid being identified as the ringleader. This method was used to prevent retribution from their superiors, as the circular arrangement made it difficult to identify who had signed first.
I get the roundness of the idea, but where did the robin come from?
The term derives in all likelihood from the French phrase “ruban rond,” meaning “round ribbon.” Though it remains unclear where it originated, it refered to the practice of writing signatures around a circle or ribbon-like structure to disguise the order of signing. According to historian N.A.M Rodger, sailors aboard HMS Hermione in 1797, fed up with the brutal treatment by their officers, used a round robin petition as part of their mutiny efforts.
A few vowel shifts later, the ruban became a robin and flew off as a new word. Historically, this was a common phenomenon. Words like ‘mail’ and ‘match’ evolved through parallel etymologies. ‘Mail’ with the meaning of post comes from the French ‘malle’ for bag or wallet. ‘Mail’ meaning chainmail comes from a separate French word ‘maille’, meaning mesh or spot. Similarly, ‘match’ as game comes from the Old English word “mæcca,” meaning a mate or companion, which evolved into the meaning of a contest between paired opponents. By contrast, the ‘match’ used to light a fire comes from the Old French word “mèche,” meaning wick of a candle.
Words have always evolved under no control other than that of usage and historical context. And, like robins in flight, only they can decide where to fly and where to nest.
Words are fun. When learning vocabulary in another language, I love to look at their etymology to help me get a deeper sense in my mind, building those brain network connections!