miseria

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [mɪˈsɛ.ri.a], [mɪˈsɛ.ri.aː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [miˈs̬ɛː.ri.a], [miˈs̬ɛː.ri.a]^[1]

Forms

miseria f (genitive miseriae); first declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin miser (“wretched”) + -ia.^[2][1] De Vaan reconstructs ⟨miser⟩ as Proto-Italic *misro-, perhaps Proto-Indo-European *mh₂isro-, possibly connected with maereō but without an accepted Indo-European source; he compares Tocharian A ⟨msär⟩ “difficult”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Ennius.^[4] Köbler dates Ennius 204–169 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a wretched or pitiable condition, misfortune, affliction, distress, as in Cicero's in miseriā esse “to be unhappy”.^[2][5][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it means misery, trouble, misfortune.^[7] English misery (late 14th century) is from it through Old French misere, and Italian miseria, Spanish miseria and Romanian mizerie are learned borrowings of it.^[8][1]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.^[4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero has in miseriā esse.^[6][4]
• late 14th century – English misery is recorded.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. Misery, wretchedness, distress.^[2][5]

Word family

• miserīnus

Related words

• miser
• misereor
• misericordia
• English misery

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com