...that the English word "essay" comes from the French "essai" which, itself, literally means "attempt", but came to be associated with the essay writing style when Michel de Montaigne published his book "Essais" in the 1500's? So, to recap - the word "essai" meant "attempt" in France way-back-when (and maybe still does?), then this dude wrote a book called "Attempts" ("Essais" in olde-arsed French), and since the book was long-as-hell, that long-as-hell writing style came to be known as the "essay". Next time you have to write an essay (for most of us, never), you can thank Michel. Etymology can really rock me off from time to time.
(Michel de Montaigne was a famous French Renaissance writer, and his full name is Lord Michel Eyquem de Montaigne. His book "Essais" has been described as a "massive volume", and apparently writer-types consider him the father of Modern Skepticism, or something...)
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