The word "Litany" has a few different meanings, but the most common one is:
A long and repetitive list or series of something, usually complaints or problems.
For example:
“The customer service representative had to listen to a litany of complaints about the faulty product.”
“The politician’s speech was just a litany of empty promises.”
The word originates in a religious context:
‘’Litany’’ is a prayer that includes a series of requests or supplications from the worshipper or the prayer leader, followed by repetitive responses from the congregation or group of worshippers.
For example, in a traditional prayer, the cantor might say "God! Please have mercy" and the congregation would respond "Have mercy, please have mercy." This repetition creates a sense of call and response, or a dialogue between the leader and the congregation.
The word's origin is in ancient Greek, λιτανεία (litaneía), which means "prayer, supplication." From there it passed into Latin (litania) and finally into English.
Although its religious origin is still in use, today the word litany is mostly used in a broader context to describe any long and repetitive list, usually of complaints or problems.
So, when someone says "a litany of..." they are emphasizing the length and repetitiveness of the list, often with a slightly negative connotation.
In the context of ‘’Drones’’ as the nickname inspired by the meaning of the word "refrain" for UAVs or unmanned aerial vehicles, the word "litany" can be used to describe: a list of negative claims or concerns about drones.
In these days of reciting the Selichot prayers in preparation for the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the supplications uttered in the wee hours of the night chillingly echo the harsh reality of the military conflict unfolding on the banks of the Litani River.
