Objects or goals aimed at or sought after; can be physical objects for shooting practice or abstract objectives to be achieved. Also refers to people or things selected as the focus of attention or attack.
From Old French 'targette', diminutive of 'targe' (shield), originally referring to a small round shield used in archery practice. The meaning evolved from the physical shield to any object aimed at, then to abstract goals and objectives.
The evolution from 'shield' to 'target' represents a brilliant linguistic irony - what once protected became what we aim to hit. This transformation mirrors how language adapts to changing human activities, from medieval warfare to modern goal-setting and marketing strategies.
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