Etymologically
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hypocrisis

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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]

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