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patientia

Etymology and origin of the Latin word patientia

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [pa.tiˈɛn.ti.a][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [pat.t͡siˈɛn.t͡si.a][1]

Forms

patientia f (genitive patientiae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is from patiēns “enduring”, the present participle of patior “to suffer”, with the suffix -ia.[2][1][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of endurance of hardship.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant endurance, hardiness, as in Plautus, and in Cicero endurance of something, as his patientia famis, frīgoris “endurance of hunger and cold”, and persistence.[2][6] In Caesar it meant conditions of hardship.[2] In Cicero it meant forbearance, patience, submissiveness, in Seneca submission to sexual use, in Pliny the Elder apathy, and in Ulpian tacit consent.[2] In Seneca it meant capacity for feeling.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant patience.[7] British Medieval Latin used it of Job's patience.[8] It survives in French patience and was borrowed into Italian pazienza, and Old French pacience gave English patience about 1200.[1][4]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of endurance.[2][5]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of hardship.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of forbearance.[2][5]
  • c. 1200 – English patience is recorded.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Endurance (of); hardiness; persistence.[2]
  2. Hardship.[2]
  3. Forbearance, patience; submissiveness.[2]
  4. Apathy, (law) tacit consent.[2]
  5. Capacity for feeling.[2]

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 k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ 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. ^ 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

“Patientia.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/patientia. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·