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Etymology of “Robot”: Correct Czech Source Word

Etymology of “Robot”: Correct Czech Source Word

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Sep 13, 2026

The word Robot is derived from the Czech word robota, which is associated with forced labor/compulsory work. Therefore, for the multiple-choice question:

Correct option: (ii) Robota.

This etymology is commonly linked to the writer Karel Čapek, whose play R.U.R. popularized “robot” in modern English vocabulary, using the Czech background term “robota.” 2

Footnotes

  1. Merriam-Webster - Robot - Dictionary entry discussing word origin from Czech “robota.” ↩

  2. Britannica - Robot - Encyclopedic overview noting the Czech origin from “robota.” ↩

Origin of the word 'robot' (etymology quick explainer)

Key terms for this question

  • Etymology
  • Robota
  • Čapek
  • R.U.R.

The options given are:

  1. Rabota
  2. Robota
  3. Rebota
  4. Ribota

Only “Robota” matches the established Czech source “robota” used in the etymological explanation. 2

Footnotes

  1. Merriam-Webster - Robot - Dictionary entry discussing word origin from Czech “robota.” ↩

  2. Britannica - Robot - Encyclopedic overview noting the Czech origin from “robota.” ↩

How to solve this MCQ (etymology check)

  1. 1
    Step 1

    Look for the historically cited Czech word behind “robot”; the standard citation is “robota.” 2

    Footnotes

    1. Merriam-Webster - Robot - Dictionary entry discussing word origin from Czech “robota.” ↩

    2. Britannica - Robot - Encyclopedic overview noting the Czech origin from “robota.” ↩

  2. 2
    Step 2

    Among the choices, only “Robota” matches “robota.” The other spellings are not the cited Czech form.

  3. 3
    Step 3

    Verify that the cited Czech term corresponds to meanings like forced labor/compulsory work, which is part of the standard etymological notes. 2

    Footnotes

    1. Merriam-Webster - Robot - Dictionary entry discussing word origin from Czech “robota.” ↩

    2. Britannica - Robot - Encyclopedic overview noting the Czech origin from “robota.” ↩

Examination strategy

For etymology MCQs, prioritize the historical source word spelling. If one option exactly matches the cited original term (here: “robota”), it is typically the correct choice. 2

Footnotes

  1. Merriam-Webster - Robot - Dictionary entry discussing word origin from Czech “robota.” ↩

  2. Britannica - Robot - Encyclopedic overview noting the Czech origin from “robota.” ↩

Common trap: “sounds similar” options

Multiple-choice distractors (“Rabota”, “Rebota”, “Ribota”) may look phonetically plausible, but etymology questions are about documented historical derivation—spelling and citation matter. 2

Footnotes

  1. Merriam-Webster - Robot - Dictionary entry discussing word origin from Czech “robota.” ↩

  2. Britannica - Robot - Encyclopedic overview noting the Czech origin from “robota.” ↩

Option matching to the cited Czech source

Only the option that matches the documented Czech term “robota” is correct.

Quick FAQs

Knowledge Check

Question 1 of 4
Q1Single choice

Robot is derived from which Czech word?

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