Scaphism
/ˈskæfɪzəm/noun
An alleged ancient Persian torture method in which a victim was trapped between boats and exposed to insects and decay.
Did you know?The term is built from Greek skáphe, meaning a hollowed-out boat or vessel, and survives in English mainly through reports of the infamous Persian punishment described by Plutarch.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
skáphe (σκάφη)
“A hollowed-out vessel, trough, or boat”
Classical Greek
Greek
skáphēisma
“A form or result derived from a boat-like hollow or vessel (source of the later torture term)”
1st Century CE
Greek
scaphes
“Plutarch’s Greek account of the Persian punishment using boats”
19th Century
English
scaphism
“Borrowed scholarly term for the alleged ancient torture method”
Modern English
English
scaphism
“A term for the legendary Persian torture method involving confinement between boats”