Etymologically
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martyr

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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

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