Avast!

I was updating my Avast Anti-Virus when my daughter came by.  She noticed the word Avast because she had just spent 10 days on a sailing ship, so she asked me if I knew what Avast means.

As it turns out, Avast is a very suitable name for an Anti-Virus program, as it means "Stop That!".

The word came From the Dutch "houd vast", meaning “hold fast”.  This became hou'vast in general usage, which sounds like Avast.  But how did the Dutch word hou'vast become the English word Avast?

The word originated in the 1600's.  During that century the Dutch were a major force on the high seas, challenging the Spanish and Portuguese, and sailing all over the globe.  English sailors would have picked up the word from their Dutch counterparts in many ports, and also from contact during the Anglo-Dutch naval wars which began in the second half of that century and continued on and off for over a hundred years.

I was able to find out why the creators of Avast Anti-Virus, named their product Avast.  They wanted a meaningful word beginning with the letters AV, and Avast was a good fit.  Being in land-locked Czechoslovakia, I guess they did not pick up the word in daily usage!