Plural of gymnasium; ancient Greek schools or public buildings where young men trained in athletics, philosophy, and other subjects.
From Greek 'gymnasia,' plural of 'gymnasion,' derived from 'gymnazein' (to exercise naked) and 'gymnos' (naked), referring to the practice of exercising without clothes in ancient Greece.
The ancient Greeks literally stripped down to train because they believed the human body was something to perfect and display—it's wild that our modern word 'gymnasium' comes from a place where being naked while exercising was totally normal and considered a sign of civilization.
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