martyr

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈmɑːtə(ɹ)/ (UK); /ˈmɑɹ.tɚ/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English martyr, inherited from Old English martyr,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} borrowed from Late Latin martyr,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur), a late form of mártus “witness”.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} In Middle English it was reinforced by Old French martir.^[3] The Greek word is sometimes connected with mérmēra “care, trouble”,^[3][4] but Beekes suggests it is a loanword from a pre-Greek language.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

One who voluntarily suffers death rather than renounce the Christian faith (before 900).^[7][3][4]

Semantic evolution

In Christian Greek the “witness” was one who bore testimony to the faith by dying for it.^[4][6] From 1597 the word was used of anyone who dies or suffers greatly for a belief or cause,^[7] and from about 1560, hyperbolically, of a constant sufferer, as in a martyr to asthma.^[7][5] The phrase to make a martyr of oneself dates from 1599.^[7] The verb, “to put to death as a martyr”, goes back to Old English,^[7][3] and “to torment” is from about 1240.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 893 – verb, to put to death as a martyr.^[7][3]
• before 900 – one who dies for the faith.^[7][3]
• c. 1240 – verb, to torment, to torture.^[7]
• c. 1560 – a constant sufferer.^[7]
• 1597 – one who suffers for any belief or cause.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A person who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce a religion.
2. A person who sacrifices something of great value, especially life, for a belief, cause or principle.
3. A person who endures great or constant suffering, as in a martyr to headaches.
4. A person who exaggerates suffering to gain sympathy.

Verb

1. To make a martyr of, especially by putting to death for religious beliefs.
2. To inflict great pain on; to torment.

Word family

• protomartyr
• martyrdom
• martyrize

Related words

• martyrium
• martyrology
• martyry
• witness
• memory

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press