The term freelance first appeared in Sir Walter Scott’s 1819 novel Ivanhoe, referring to a type of mercenary warrior in the Middle Ages. These soldiers and their weapons were not bound to any specific lord but were free to hire themselves out. Over time, a more figurative meaning emerged in the 1860s, shifting towards consultants and journalists in modern times. The word free, originating from Old English freo and the Proto-Germanic root friaz (meaning “beloved” from Proto-Indo-European pri, “to love”), combines with lance from Latin lancea, possibly derived from a Proto-Indo-European root similar to plehk meaning “to hit.” Literary usage of freelance reached its peak in 2002 and has since been on the decline.
