Prithee the addressee, as in "if it please you," "prithee" accompanies a request which addresses itself to the threat of being answered in the negative, as though the request were against the addressee's wishes. Stated otherwise, the word "please" suggests that the person being addressed is willing to comply with the request, whereas the word "prithee" suggests that he or she is not willing. This switch from stating the speaker's contrary desire to stating the speaker's wish not to impose signaled a cultural shift in the English-speaking world in which politeness became stated negatively rather than positively. Wider repercussions are observable
Munera (ancient Rome) Munera (ancient Rome) In ancient Rome, munera (Latin plural) were the provision of public works and entertainments provided for the benefit of the Roman people ('populus Romanus') by individuals of high status and wealth. The word munera singular munus (cf. English "munificence") means "duty, obligation", expressing the individual's responsibility to provide a service or contribution to his community. The production of munera was dependent on the private largesse of an individual, in contrast to the ludi", the games,' athletic contests or spectacles sponsored by the state. The most famous were the gladiatorial contests, which began as a service or gift