30 August 2013

cadastre

[kuh-das-ter]

noun

– an official register of the ownership, extent, and value of real property in a given area, used as a basis of taxation.
Also, ca·das·ter.

Origin:
1795–1805; < French < Provençal cadastro < Italian catastro, earlier ( Venetian ) catastico < Late Greek katástichon register, derivative of phrase katà stíchon by line; see cata-, stich

Today’s aphorism

There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we believe we left without having lived them, those we spent with a favourite book.

– Marcel Proust

On this day

30 August 580 – birth of Muhammad, prophet and founder of Islam.

30 August 1146 – European leaders optimistically outlaw the cross-bow with the belief that it will end war for evermore. The ban was flouted and cross-bows continued to be used until they were replaced by fire-arms in the 16th century.