The Origin of the word "Geocaching"

Vocabulary:

geography global retrieve technology web browser

Geocaching, f i rst coined by Matt Stum on the "GPS Stash Hunt" mail inglist on May 30, 2000, was the joining of two familiar words. The prefix geo, forEarth, was used to describe the global nature of the activity, but also for itsuse in familiar topics in GpS such as geography.

Caching, from the word cache, has two different meanings, which makesit very appropriate for the activity. A French word invented in 1797, theoriginal definition referred to a hiding place someone would use to temporarilystore items. The word cache stirs up visions of pioneers, gold miners, and evenpirates. Today the word is stil l even used in the news to describe hiddenweapons locations.

The second use of cache has more recently been used in technology.Memory cache is computer storage that is used to quickly find often usedinformation. Your web browser, for example, stores images on disk so yourcomputer doesn't have to find the same image every time you visit similarpages.

The combination of the meanings of the words Earth, hiding, andtechnof ogy made "geocaching" an excellent term for the activity. However the"GPS Stash Hunt" was the original and most widely used term unti l September2000.

The Origin of the word "Geocaching"Choose a Question

As a team, choose a question to answer about the information you read aboutgeocaching. Write your answer in the box underneath the question andreplace this paper in the geocache container. Write the number and answer ofthe question you chose in your team's geocache log.

l.Who? who was the firstperson to use the term GPS StashHunt?

2.How? ttow many differentmeanings are there for the wordt'cache"?

3.When? wnen did the term"geocache" become the term usedfor GPS hunts?

4.What? wtrat is the onedefinition of the word "cache"?

S.Why? wtry does the wordgeocaching begin with the prefixgeo-?

6.Where? where is memorycache stored?