Misericordia
/ˌmɪs.ər.ɪˈkɔːr.di.ə/noun
Compassion or mercy, especially toward someone in distress.
Did you know?In medieval Latin, *misericordia* was not just a feeling but a sacred virtue, and the same Latin root *miser-* also lives on in words like *miserable* and *misery*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mei-
“to change, exchange; to move or alter”
Latin
Latin
miser
“wretched, unhappy, pitiable”
Latin
Latin
cor, cordis
“heart”
Late Latin
Latin
misericordia
“pity, compassion, mercy”
Old French
Old French
misericorde
“mercy; also a thin dagger associated with mercy blows”
Middle English
English
misericorde
“mercy, compassion”
Modern English
English
misericordia
“mercy or compassion, especially in religious or formal use”
Explore more surprising origins