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The Cultivated Mind

The Etymology of Patience

9/16/2014

1 Comment

 
Etymology 101 
Word/Cognate of the Day: Patience
Patience (abstract noun): of Latin origin patientia; the Latin root is pati or pass; the Proto-Indo-European root is pei, all of which mean to suffer or endure; firm and unyielding (like a river's current).  To suffer without complaint.

...yes, patience is truly a virtue...

Other words with the Latin cognate include: passion; compassion; compatible

Thus, a person in the hospital would be considered a patient (concrete noun) because they are suffering from an illness or disease; and to heal, they must be patient (adjective) to see the best results. 

Greek form of pass/pati is pathos, which means feeling.  Words with this cognate include: sympathy; empathize; pathology; pathetic; allopathic; psychopath; antipathetic, etc...

Picture
1 Comment
Sue
11/22/2024 04:14:04 pm

I was thinking the Latin roots were more pax, pacis (peace) + tenere (to hold), as in to hold or not lose one's peace under the circumstances. Patience. I appreciate your etymology of the word, too. Both "pictures" are worth cogitating about!

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