Luctus
/ˈlʊk.tʊs/noun
A Latin noun meaning mourning, grief, or lamentation.
Did you know?Latin luctus comes from the verb lugere, “to mourn,” and its family gave English words like lugubrious and condolence, proving grief itself was treated like something you could name, summon, and perform.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leugʰ-
“to be dark, painful, or sorrowful”
Latin
Latin
lugere
“to mourn, grieve”
Latin
Latin
luctus
“mourning, grief, lamentation”
Late Latin
Latin
luctuosus
“full of mourning, sorrowful”
English
English
lugubrious
“mournful, dismal, sorrowful”
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