martyr

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈmar.tyr]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmar.tir]^[1]

Forms

martyr m or f (genitive martyris); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek μάρτυρ (mártur, “witness”), a later form of μάρτυς (mártus, “witness”).^[1][2] Köbler traces the Greek to Proto-Indo-European *smer- (“to remember, care”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Tertullian, in On the Soul, calls Perpetua the bravest martyr.^[2] Köbler dates Tertullian c. 160–220 AD.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Its sense was a witness, and in Church Latin one who bears witness to the Christian faith by dying for it, a martyr, man or woman.^[2][4] Prudentius greets the Holy Innocents as the flowers of the martyrs, and the Vulgate's Apocalypse speaks of the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.^[2][5] Augustine uses it often.^[3] Inscriptions have the genitive plural martyrōrum.^[4]

In medieval Latin it was a martyr.^[6] British writers knew its Greek meaning, glossing it as testis “witness”.^[7] English martyr is recorded in late Old English.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian calls Perpetua a martyr.^[2][3]
• 354–430 AD – Augustine uses it.^[3]
• 348/49–c. 413 AD – Prudentius uses it of the Holy Innocents.^[2][3]
• late Old English – English martyr is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. A witness.^[2][7]
2. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A martyr.^[1][2]

Word family

• martyrizō

Related words

• martyrium
• English martyr

References

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