hypocrisis

Forms

hypocrisis f (genitive hypocrisis or hypocriseōs or hypocrisios); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ὑπόκρισις (hupókrisis, “reply; acting on the stage; pretence”),^[1][2][3] from ὑποκρίνομαι (hupokrínomai, “to answer; to play a part”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Suetonius' life of Virgil, preserved by Donatus, uses it of mimicking someone's speech and gestures.^[5][2] Köbler dates Suetonius c. 75–c. 150 AD.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Its first sense was imitation of a person's way of speaking and gestures, mimicry.^[2][6] In Church Latin it was hypocrisy, pretended piety, as the Vulgate uses it of the Pharisees in Matthew and Luke.^[2][5] Sidonius Apollinaris uses it too.^[6]

In medieval Latin it was declamation and imitation, and above all dissimulation and hypocrisy.^[7][8] Bede writes against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.^[9] English hypocrisy is recorded around 1200 through Old French ypocrisie.^[4]

Timeline

• c. 75–c. 150 AD – Suetonius uses it of mimicry.^[5][3]
• 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it of the Pharisees.^[2][3]
• c. 1200 – English hypocrisy is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. Imitation of speech and gestures, mimicry.^[2][1]
2. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Hypocrisy, feigned piety.^[2][1]

Related words

• hypocrita
• English hypocrisy

References

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