immortalis

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɪm.mɔrˈtaː.lɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [im.morˈtaː.lis]^[1]

Forms

immortālis (neuter immortāle, adverb immortāliter); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1] Also spelled inmortālis.^[2]

Etymology

It is from in- “not” and mortālis “mortal”, from mors “death”.^[2][1][3] The Thesaurus compares Ancient Greek ἄμβροτος (ámbrotos, “immortal”) and Sanskrit अमृत (amṛ́ta-, “immortal”).^[4] De Vaan traces ⟨morior⟩ “to die” to Proto-Indo-European *mr̥-yé- (“to die”).^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus.^[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[6]

Semantic evolution

It meant not subject to death, immortal, as in Plautus and Cicero; imperishable, everlasting, as in Cicero; and of the gods, divine, as in Virgil.^[2][7]

In Ecclesiastical and Medieval Latin it was used of God and Christ, of pagan gods and of stars.^[8][9] English immortal is recorded in the late 14th century.^[3] It survives in Italian immortale and French immortel.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.^[2][6]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it.^[7][6]
• late 14th century – English immortal is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Immortal, undying.^[2]
2. Imperishable, everlasting.^[2]
3. Divine.^[2]

Word family

• immortālitās
• immortālitus

Related words

• mortālis
• mors
• English immortal

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
5. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
7. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
8. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
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