Etymologically
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memor

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈmɛ.mɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈmɛː.mor][1]

Forms

memor (genitive memoris, comparative memorior, superlative memorissimus, adverb memoriter); third-declension one-termination adjective (non-i-stem)[1]

Etymology

It is usually taken as a reduplicated form of Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- (“to think of, remember”).[1][2][3] Cognate with Sanskrit स्मरति (smárati, “remembers”), Ancient Greek μέρμερος (mérmeros, “anxious”), Ancient Greek μέριμνα (mérimna, “care”) and Old English ġemimor (“known”).[4][3][1] Some instead derive it from a reduplicated Proto-Indo-European *me-mn-os-, from *men- “to think”, with a change of stem.[1] Lewis and Short stress that it is not formed from meminī.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler gives Plautus first.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[2] Plautus plays on the word: whoever reminds a mindful man of what he remembers makes him forgetful.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant having something in mind, mindful, and especially mindful of an obligation, grateful.[4] It also described a person with a good memory or old enough to remember something, and feelings that do not forget, as in Virgil's “the unforgetting anger of cruel Juno”.[4] Marks and records that preserve a memory were memor as well.[4] It also meant careful or prudent.[1]

In medieval British Latin it kept the sense mindful, not forgetting.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a mindful man.[4][2]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of gratitude.[4][2]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil speaks of Juno's unforgetting anger.[4][2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Mindful, remembering (with genitive).[4][1]
  2. Mindful of obligations, grateful.[4]
  3. Having a good memory; old enough to remember.[4]
  4. (of feelings) Unforgetting.[4]
  5. (of marks, records) commemorative.[4]
  6. Careful, prudent.[1]

Word family

  • memoria
  • immemor
  • memoriter
  • memorō
  • memoror
  • memorābilis
  • memorāculum
  • memorāliter
  • memorālius
  • memorandus
  • memorātiō
  • memorātor
  • memorātrīx
  • memorātus
  • memoriāle
  • meminī
  • English memory
  • English remember
  • English memorial

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  3. ^ a b Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ 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