Suspirium
/sʊsˈpɪəri.əm/noun
A sigh or deep breath; in Latin, also a gasp or panting.
Did you know?Suspirium comes from the same Latin root as English words tied to breathing and inspiration, and in classical Latin it could describe not just a sigh but a strained, labored breath.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spei-
“to blow, draw breath”
Latin
Latin
spirare
“to breathe, blow”
Latin
Latin
suspirare
“to sigh, breathe deeply; to long for”
Classical Latin
Latin
suspirium
“a sigh, deep breath, gasp; panting”
Modern English
English
suspirium
“a sigh or deep breath, especially in literary or historical contexts”