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Origin and history of mortification

mortification(n.)

late 14c., mortificacioun, "mortifying of the flesh, act of subduing the passions and appetites, suppression of bodily desires," from Late Latin mortificationem (nominative mortificatio) "a killing, putting to death," from past-participle stem of mortificare (see mortify). Meaning "death of one part of the body while the rest is still alive" is from early 15c. Sense of "feeling of humiliation" is recorded by 1640s.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to mortification

mortify(v.)

late 14c., mortifien, "to kill, destroy the life of," from Old French mortefiier "destroy, overwhelm, punish," from Late Latin mortificare "cause death, kill, put to death," literally "make dead," from mortificus "producing death," from Latin mors (genitive mortis) "death" (from PIE root *mer- "to rub away, harm," also "to die" and forming words referring to death and to beings subject to death) + combining form of facere "to make, to do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put").

Religious sense of "subdue the flesh by abstinence and discipline" is attested from early 15c. Sense of "humiliate, chagrin, vex" is recorded by 1690s (compare mortification). Related: Mortified; mortifying.

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    chagrin
    1650s, "melancholy," from French chagrin "melancholy, anxiety, vexation" (14c.), from Old North French chagreiner or Angevin dialect chagraigner "sadden," which is of unknown origin, perhaps [Gamillscheg] from Old French graignier "grieve over, be angry," from graigne "sadness, r
    affliction
    c. 1300, affliccioun, "misery, sorrow, pain, distress" (originally especially "self-inflicted pain, self-mortification, religious...asceticism"), from Old French afliction "act of humility, humiliation, mortification, punishment" (11c.) and directly from...
    penitence
    "sorrow for committing sin or for having offended, with the intention of amending one's life; mortification undertaken to...
    penance
    c. 1300, penaunce, "religious discipline or self-mortification as a token of repentance and as atonement for some sin; sorrow...
    instance
    late 14c., "urgency, insistence" (a sense now archaic), from Old French instance "effort, application; urgency, eagerness, anxiety" (13c.), from Latin instantia "presence, effort, intention; earnestness, urgency," literally "a standing near," from instans (see instant). In logic,
    example
    late 14c., "an instance typical of a class; a model, either good or bad, action or conduct as an object of imitation; an example to be avoided; punishment as a warning," partial re-Latinization of earlier essample, asaumple (mid-13c.), from Old French essemple "sample, model, exa
    case
    early 13c., "what befalls one; state of affairs," from Old French cas "an event, happening, situation, quarrel, trial," from Latin casus "a chance, occasion, opportunity; accident, mishap," literally "a falling," from cas-, past-participle stem of cadere "to fall, sink, settle do
    self-denial
    "act of denying one's own wishes; refusal to satisfy one's own desires," 1640s, from self- + denial. Self-denial is to be presumed wise, necessary, or benevolent, unless indication is given to the contrary ; it may be the denial of selfishness; it may be not only the refusal to
    record
    c. 1200, recorden, "to repeat, reiterate, recite; rehearse, get by heart" (senses now obsolete), from Old French recorder "tell, relate, repeat, recite, report, make known" (12c.) and directly from Latin recordari "remember, call to mind, think over, be mindful of," from re-, her
    hypochondria
    "unfounded belief that one is sick," by 1816; a narrowing from the earlier sense "depression or melancholy without real cause" (1660s); from Middle English medical term ipocondrie "lateral regions of the upper abdomen" (late 14c.). This is from Late Latin hypochondria, from Greek

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