Litany
/ˈlɪt.ə.ni/noun
A series of prayers or petitions recited in a fixed, repetitive form; by extension, a long, repetitive list.
Did you know?‘Litany’ entered English through church Latin from Greek litaneia, a word tied to public supplication and processions—so the modern meaning still carries the echo of ritualized begging.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leit-
“To beg, pray, or beseech”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λιτή (litḗ)
“A prayer, entreaty, or supplication”
Late Greek
Greek
λιτανεία (litaneía)
“A supplication; a public prayer procession”
Medieval Latin
Latin
litania
“A litany; a set form of prayer”
Middle English
English
letanie / litany
“A set form of supplicatory prayer”
Modern English
English
litany
“A repeated series of prayers or a tedious recital of items”