Children are not casual guests in our home. They have been loaned to us temporarily for the purpose of loving them and instilling a foundation of values on which their future lives will be built.
James Dobson
Do you know the meaning of the words “casual” and “casualty” ? The word “casual” simply means “produced by chance”. It is a word borrowed from Latin “casus” or “casualis” , which dates back to 14th or 15th centuries. The word gained new meanings such as “informal” , “everyday” , or “irregular” in the 17th century. The word “casual” can also be used as a noun that means temporary worker.
The word “casualty“, with the suffix -ty added to the word “casual” , on the other hand, simply means a “loss” . The word “casual” and “casualty” probably come from the same Latin root “casus” of the 14th. The word “casualty” also means “chance” , “accident” , a person killed in a battle, or a person missing in a military engagement.
Here are some examples for you: 1. The teacher finally managed to interest the casual (nonchalant) students in the classroom. 2. We had on our casual (everyday) clothes as usual. 3. The casual (hasty and perfunctory) inspection might have failed to reveal the real causes of the earthquake. 4. John has worked for our company as a casual (a temporary worker) for many years. 5. It was evident that heavy casualties (losses) were inflicted on the enemy. 6. The troops kept on fighting in spite of civilian casualties. 7. There were only three casualties after that stormy night. 8. She was working as a doctor in casualty (emergency room or department).
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