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Origin and history of tedium

tedium(n.)

"tediousness, weariness," 1660s, from Latin taedium "weariness, irksomeness, disgust" (mostly post-classical), which is related to taedet "it is wearisome, it excites loathing" (in Late Latin "be disgusted with, be weary of") and to taedere "to weary," but the whole group is of uncertain etymology. Possible cognates that have been suggested are Old Church Slavonic težo, Lithuanian tingiu, tingėti "to be dull, be listless."

Caxton (late 15c.) has tedeation "act of wearying, condition of being wearied." A verb tedify "to bore, affect with tedium" is attested by 1610s (hence tedification), as is the noun tediosity.

also from 1660s

Entries linking to tedium

tedious(adj.)

"exhausting, wearisome, irksomely boring," early 15c., from Old French tedieus, from Late Latin taediosus "wearisome, irksome, tedious," from Latin taedium "weariness, disgust" (see tedium).

Originally especially of time, a task, a journey, a speech, etc. Also in Middle English "wearied, exhausted" (c. 1400), senses now obsolete. The sense of "slow, slow-going" is by late 15c. Related: Tediously; tediousness.

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    dreary
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    fatigue
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    college
    late 14c., "organized association of persons invested with certain powers and rights or engaged in some common duty or pursuit," especially "body of scholars and students within an endowed institution of learning," also "resident body of ecclesiastics supported by an endowment,"
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    "recently or just begun," 1530s, from Latin inchoatus, past participle of inchoare, alteration of incohare "commence, begin," probably originally "to hitch up," traditionally derived from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + a verb from cohum "strap (fastened to the oxen's yoke),"
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    anxious
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    forlorn
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