Eavesdrop

The dictionaries ask us to pronounce as 'eevz-drop'. The word appears to have originated from architecture. Eave is an overhanging lower edge of a roof. Eavesdrop is a small, but not very visible hole specifically designed to listen what 'drips' from the eaves. A picture of eavesdrop may be found here. Henry VIII of England used such a set up at his Hampton Court palace and appointed spies to listen what his staff were talking. These spies were called eavesdroppers.

Thus, an interesting meaning of 'eavesdropping' is derived. It is an act of listening secretly to a private conversation. I was curious about this term because the eavesdropping of telephone conversation is a serious issue in the modern age. It often makes furore in our parliaments when the phones of the members are tapped. The word 'eavesdropping' generally suits to the act when a telephone conversation between two parties is recorded or listened by a third party without the knowledge of the two who are involved in the conversation. There is another variant where one of the two parties records the conversation without the knowledge of the other. Nowadays most of the mobile phones are in the market with a feature of recording the conversation. Even if the feature is not provided by the manufacturer, we can have it by installing a software designed for that purpose.

I tried to find out from the net if it is legally allowed in India or elsewhere. Can we legally record our conversation on phone without the knowledge of the one who is on the other side of the phone? It seems that it is legally wrong unless the government authorizes to do so. Agreed. If it is recorded illegally, can it be produced to the court as an evidence against the person without whose knowledge it was recorded? It seems that it is also allowed. Perhaps the one who recorded may also be punished independently for the illegal recording. Let me search more on this and write about it in another occasion.

I came across this adage: "eavesdroppers seldom hear anything good of themselves"