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Origin and history of somnolent

somnolent(adj.)

"sleepy, lethargic, drowsy, inclined to sleep," mid-15c., sompnolent, from Old French sompnolent, somnolent (Modern French somnolent) and directly from Latin somnolentus (in Medieval Latin also sompnolentus) "sleepy, drowsy," from somnus "sleep" (from PIE root *swep- "to sleep"). Respelled 17c. on Latin model; for the -p-, compare solemn.

also from mid-15c.

Entries linking to somnolent

solemn(adj.)

mid-14c., solemne, solempne, "performed with due religious ceremony or reverence; sacred, devoted to religious observances," also, of a vow, etc., "made under religious sanction, binding," from Old French solempne, solemne (12c., Modern French solennel) and directly from Latin sollemnis, sollempnis "annual, established, religiously fixed, formal, ceremonial, traditional," a derivative of sollus "whole, unbroken, complete" (from PIE root *sol- "whole, well-kept"), though the etymology is uncertain for the -emnis.

"The explanation that Latin sollemnis was formed from sollus whole + annus year is not considered valid" [Barnhart], but some assimilation via folk-etymology is possible. One of de Vaan's sources offers *soll-epli- "with all (due) religious performances, with all due rites" and dissimilation on the last -l-.

For the tendency to unetymological (euphonic?) -p- between -m- and -n-, compare Middle English sompnearie "book of dreams," from Medieval Latin somnarius; sumpnour, a Middle English variant of sumnour "summoner."

In Middle English also "famous, important; imposing, grand," hence Chaucer's friar, a ful solempne man but a religious hypocrite. Without reference to religion, "marked by seriousness or earnestness," from late 14c. The sense of "fitted to inspire devout reflection" is from c. 1400. Related: Solemnly; solemness.

somnolescent(adj.)

"half-asleep," 1845, from Latin somnolentus "sleepy" (see somnolent) + -escent.

*swep-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to sleep."

It might form all or part of: hypno-; hypnosis; hypnotic; hypnotism; insomnia; somni-; somnambulate; somniloquy; somnolence; somnolent; Somnus; sopor; soporific.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit svapnah, Avestan kvafna-, Greek hypnos, Latin somnus, Lithuanian sapnas, Old Church Slavonic sunu, Old Irish suan, Welsh hun "sleep;" Latin sopor "a deep sleep;" Old English swefn, Old Norse svefn "a dream."

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