Etymologically
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miseria

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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

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