The scandalous news emanating from the White House and the impeachment of the President provide a wonderful instance where real life parallels the history of language— as well as a defense of his actions. .

Scandal was originally not something you brought upon yourself, but something others got you into. The Greek skandalon, caused you to “stumble” — making for the Latin scandalus, a “snare” in which you were unwittingly caught. No blame here. Only later did it become a “stumbling block” — though even then, it was considered more a “hindrance” impeding your progress, than something which impacted on your image and career.

Things were similarly afoot with impeachment — deriving as it does from impedicare, to “fetter,” from pes, ped-, “foot,” pedica, “shackles on the feet,” and pedicare, “to trip.”

It took many years of “fettering” or “hindering,” before it finally became an empechement, a “charge,” leading to the first accusation of a public official of misconduct in 1568.

Our first unimpeachable person, “one above suspicion,” didn’t surface until 1785 — leaving one wondering whether he was really so or just impossible to trip up. Unfortunately, this still leaves unanswered the current question, “Did he fall or was he pushed?