Tuesday, 27 May 2014

Introduction To Hobbies

A hobby is a regular activity done for pleasure - typically during leisure - e.g., collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports. Continual participation in a hobby can provide substantial skill and knowledge about it.
Anyone who does an activity solely for fun is called an 'amateur' (from French for "lover of") or 'hobbyist'; whereas anyone who does an activity for a reward is a 'professional'.
In the 13th century, the term "hobyn" had the meaning of "small horse or pony". The term "hobbyhorse" was documented in a 1557 payment confirmation for a "Hobbyhorse" from Reading, England.[1] The item, originally called a "Tourney Horse", was made of a wooden or basketwork frame with an artificial tail and head. Designed to mimic a real horse, the hobbyhorse was used for religious activities and civic occasions. By 1816 the derivative, "hobby", was introduced into the vocabulary of an unknown number of English people.[2] Over the course of subsequent centuries, the term came to mean "recreational" or "leisurely pursuit". A hobby is also called a pastime, derived from the use of hobbies to pass the time, though it may also refer to other activities (for example, baseball is often said to be America's favorite or national pastime).
Hobbies are practiced primarily for interest and enjoyment, rather than financial reward. In the 17th century, the term was used in a pejorative sense due to the childish origins of the term. Referring to the origin of the word, engaging in one's hobby equated to the horse outfit from the term's formulation and was considered a puerile overindulgence that would yield no benefit.[3]
In the 21st century, personal fulfillment is the aim of hobbies in First World Western nations and they are widely considered to be helpful in such societies. Although, in the United Kingdom (UK), the pejorative noun "anorak", similar to the Japanese word "otaku", has the meaning of being a geek or enthusiast, and is often applied to people who obsessively pursue a particular hobby that others consider boring.

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