Finding its beginnings in early Latin, effort originates from two words, combined to make one. The first comes from ex, meaning “out”, and the second from fortis, meaning “strong”. Latin eventually combined the two to exfortiare, meaning “to show strength”. Old French adopted the Latin translation to the verbal noun esforcier, meaning "force out", or "exert oneself", which was eventually shortened to esforz. Esforz, being the old French noun, translates to "force, impetuosity, strength, or power. Old French evolved in the 14th century to Middle French, where the noun became effort, which was fully adopted into the Middle English language.
By the mid-1600s effort was commonplace in the English language. One of the first identifiable uses of the word effort comes from The Medal of John Bayes, a self-described satire of folly and knavery, written by Thomas Shadwell. The piece was a response The Medall, a story by English poet John Dryden who wrote of a grand jury convened in Middlesex to consider a bill of charges filed against the Earl of Shaftesbury on the grounds of high treason. The direct line is quoted to say, “In Cromwels Court, Where first your Muse did make her great effort”. The line was first penned in 1682.
Every day, Cornell Football gives its all, whether practicing, studying, or watching film. The team puts a determined and purposeful attempt into each task, all towards one goal. Playing the best football possible. Beyond that, the program is a process-driven one. Paying attention to the details, focusing on the small tasks to accomplish the big ones. The effort given in the process turns into results. Giving all they have to give, all their effort, toward the team's goal.
