The word clown first appeared in 1560

 

The word clown first appeared in 1560

The first written documentation of the word clown in English appears in a text in 1560.

Back then it was written as clowne or cloyne.

Clowne or cloyne was used within texts to mean; rustic, boor, and peasant.

It is said that the origin of the word clown comes from the Icelandic word klunni.

The translation of the word klunni means clumsy person.

familiar comic character of pantomime and circus, known by distinctive makeup and costume, ludicrous antics, and buffoonery, whose purpose is to induce hearty laughter. The clown, unlike the traditional fool or court jester, usually performs a set routine characterized by broad, graphic humour, absurd situations, and vigorous physical action.

The earliest ancestors of the clown flourished in ancient Greece—bald-headed, padded buffoons who performed as secondary figures in farces and mime, parodying the actions of more serious characters and sometimes pelting the spectators with nuts. The same clown appeared in the Roman mime, wearing a pointed hat and a motley patchwork robe and serving as the butt for all the tricks and abuse of his fellow actors