[D66] ETYMOLOGY OF RISK

[Jugg]

ETYMOLOGY OF RISK: Classical Greek origin – Nautical Expression – 
Metaphor for “difficulty to avoid in the sea"

The term risk may be traced back to classical Greek ριζα , meaning root, 
later used in Latin for cliff. The  term  is  used  in  Homer’s 
Rhapsody  M  of  Odyssey  "Sirens,  Scylla,  Charybdee  and  the  bulls 
of  Helios (Sun)" Odysseus tried to save himself from Charybdee at the 
cliffs of Scylla, where his ship was destroyed  by  heavy  seas 
generated  by  Zeus  as  a  punishment  for  his  crew  killing  before 
the  bulls  of  Helios  (the  god  of  the  sun),  by  grapping  the 
roots  of  a  wild  fig  tree.  In  the  classical  text  there  is  an 
antique painting of Odysseus riding a turtle (that happened to be on the 
cliffs) and the fig tree on the right.

http://research.dnv.com/skj/Papers/ETYMOLOGY-OF-RISK.pdf
https://vicentesandoval.wordpress.com/2016/02/23/the-origins-of-the-word-risk-etymology/