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What does four score and ten mean and where does the term 'score' come from? |
Answer
90.
A "score" is 20. Four score = 80
The term "score" was a commonly-used Middle English word, from the Old English "scoru," which meant "twenty." More than likely this, in turn, came from the Norse skor.
As a side note, the term "score" in this context was a common English term even in the early days of the USA; Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address includes the phrase, "Four score and 7 years ago." There is nothing inherently religious about it, except that the term is used often in the King James Version of the Bible.
Biblically, the correct term is 'three-score years and ten' (Psalm 90: 10) suggesting that the normal lifespan in Biblical times was 70
First answer by ID1147009893. Last edit by JohnWelsh. Contributor trust: 152 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 124 [recommend question]
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