Planctus
/ˈplæŋk.təs/noun
A Latin noun meaning a lament, wailing, or mourning song.
Did you know?In medieval Latin, *planctus* became a powerful genre of ritual lament, used in poetry and church music to give grief a formal, almost incantatory voice.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*plak-
“to strike, beat, or lament (reconstructed root)”
Latin
Latin
plangere
“to strike, beat the breast in grief; to lament”
Classical Latin
Latin
planctus
“beating, mourning, lamentation”
Medieval Latin
Latin
planctus
“a lament or formal dirge, especially in religious or poetic use”
Modern English
English
planctus
“a lament or dirge, especially in literary or historical contexts”