Etymologically
Log in

eremita

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 23:46. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ɛ.reːˈmiː.ta][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [e.reˈmiː.ta][1]

Forms

erēmīta m (genitive erēmītae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐρημίτης (erēmítēs, “dweller in the desert”),[2][3][4] from ἐρημία (erēmía, “solitude, desert”), from ἔρημος (érēmos, “desolate, uninhabited”).[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Sulpicius Severus uses it in his Dialogues.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

It was a Christian word for a hermit, one who lives alone in the desert, as in Sulpicius Severus and in Venantius Fortunatus' Life of Saint Martin.[2][3][4] It also appears in the Tironian notes.[3] Köbler dates Venantius 536–c. 610 AD.[4]

In medieval Latin it was a hermit or anchorite, and also a monk of certain orders.[7][8] British writers used it of a desert-dweller, glossed in Old English as westensetla.[9] Through Old French ermite it gave English hermit, recorded in the early 12th century, and the learned English eremite around 1200.[5]

Timeline

  • 536–c. 610 AD – Venantius Fortunatus uses it in his Life of Saint Martin.[3][4]
  • early 12th century – English hermit is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A hermit, anchorite, recluse.[2][1]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A monk of a hermit order.[8]

Word family

  • erēmīticus
  • erēmus
  • English hermit
  • English eremite

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  8. ^ a b Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  9. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press