Message of the Day:
Just because I believe in God doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in myself. The two are not mutually exclusive.
Fact of the Day:
The term "militia" derives from Old English milite meaning soldiers (plural), militisc meaning military and also classical Latin milit-, miles meaning soldier.
The Modern English term militia dates to the year 1590, with the original meaning now obsolete: "the body of soldiers in the service of a sovereign or a state". Subsequently, since approximately 1665, militia has taken the meaning "a military force raised from the civilian population of a country or region, especially to supplement a regular army in an emergency, frequently as distinguished from mercenaries or professional soldiers".
The spelling of millitia is often observed in written and printed materials from the 17th century through the 19th century.