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Origin and history of temeration

temeration(n.)

"contamination, profanation," 1640s, from Latin temerationem (nominative temeratio) "a dishonoring or profaning," noun of action from past-participle stem of temerare "violate, pollute," etymologically "treat rashly," from temere "blindly, rashly, by chance" (see temerity).

Entries linking to temeration

early 15c., temerite, "extreme venturesomeness, rashness, recklessness," from Old French temerite (14c.) and directly from Latin temeritatem (nominative temeritas) "blind chance, accident; rashness, indiscretion, foolhardiness," from temere "by chance, at random; indiscreetly, rashly, recklessly;" probably, etymologically, "blindly."

This is reconstructed to be from a PIE *temos- "darkness," source also of Sanskrit tamisra- "dark night," tamsrah "dark;" Avestan temah "darkness;" Middle Persian tar "darkness," tarig "dark;" Lithuanian tamsa "darkness," tamsus "dark;" Old Church Slavonic tima "darkness;" Old High German dinstar "dark," demar "twilight;" Old Irish temel "darkness."

The connecting notion would be "blindly, in darkness," hence "without foreseeing." Compare Latin tenebrio "dishonest person," apparently "person who operates in darkness" (see tenebrous).

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