Etymologically
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terror

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈtɛr.rɔr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtɛr.ror][1]

Forms

terror m (genitive terrōris); third declension[1]

Etymology

It is from terreō “to frighten” with the suffix -or.[2][1][3] Köbler traces it to Proto-Indo-European *tres- (“to tremble”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus.[2] Köbler's first source is Cicero.[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant the inspiring of terror, as in Plautus, and Cicero's terrōrem iniicere “to strike terror”, with terrōrī esse “to be a terror”, as in Caesar.[2][5] By metonymy it meant a person or thing causing terror, as in Ovid.[2] It also meant extreme fear, dread, as a feeling, and Cicero defines it as a fear that shakes, as blushing follows shame.[2][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant terror, fright, dread, panic.[7] It survives in French terreur and Italian terrore.[1] English terror came in the early 15th century, and English terrorist in 1795 from French terroriste.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of terror.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero defines it as a shaking fear.[6][4]
  • c. 50 BC – Caesar uses terrōrī esse.[5][4]
  • early 15th century – English terror is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The inspiring of terror; a source of terror.[2]
  2. Extreme fear, dread.[2]

Word family

  • terricrepus
  • terrificō
  • terriloquus
  • terrisonus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson