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mortalis

Etymology and origin of the Latin word mortalis

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (mors)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [mɔrˈtaː.lɪs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [morˈtaː.lis][1]

Forms

mortālis (neuter mortāle); third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from mors “death” with the suffix -ālis.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation for the noun is from Plautus, of a person.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant subject to death, mortal, human as opposed to divine, and of things perishable, transient, as in Cicero.[2] As a noun it meant a human being, a mortal, and in Plautus simply a person, a soul.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant mortal.[5] Medieval Latin used it for what entails capital punishment and, of a sin, causing the death of the soul, mortal.[6] British Medieval Latin used it for subject to death, as Bede's mortālis carō “mortal flesh”.[7] It survives in Italian mortale, French mortel and Spanish mortal, and through Old French it gave English mortal in the late 14th century.[1][3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses the noun of a person.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of the mortal and perishable.[2][4]
  • late 14th century – English mortal is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Subject to death, mortal.[2]
  2. Human.[2]
  3. Perishable, transient.[2]
  4. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Of a sin, deadly to the soul.[6]

Noun

  1. A human being, a mortal; a person.[2]

Word family

  • commortālis
  • immortālis
  • mortālitās

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ 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
Cite this entry

“Mortalis.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/mortalis. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·