English
agony
Agony comes from Ancient Greek ἀγωνία ‘emulation, competition, struggle’, from ἀγών ‘contest’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- ‘to drive’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eǵ-‘to drive’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éǵeti‘to be driving’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ágō‘to lead, to guide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓́γωắgō‘to lead’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγώνagṓn‘contest’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγωνίαagōnía‘emulation, competition, struggle’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611agony
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eǵ-‘to drive’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂éǵeti‘to be driving’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*ágō‘to lead, to guide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEᾰ̓́γωắgō‘to lead’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγώνagṓn‘contest’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀγωνίαagōnía‘emulation, competition, struggle’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611agony
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “And being in an agonie, he prayed more earneſtly,[…].”
Equivalent to agon + -y
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ger- ‘to gather’
Proto-Hellenic *agéřřō ‘to collect, to gather’
Ancient Greek ἀγείρω ‘to collect, gather’
Ancient Greek ἀγών ‘contest’
Latin agōn ‘a contest’
English agon
The story
Specifically of the struggle that precedes death (mortal agony) from the 1540s.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- ‘to drive’
suggest, register, reaction, actively, essay, transaction, acre, gesture, radioactive, digest, inactive, congestion, belligerent, agrarian, retroactive, unambiguous, hyperactivity, progesterone, ingest, gestation, reagent, agitate, ambiguously, samaj, gerund, agger, gestion, 130 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti ‘to be driving’
act, action, active, activity, actual, actor, agency, agent, agenda, activate, ambiguous, squat, ambiguity, assay, agile, agility, radium, agitation, actuator, cogent, axiomatic, actuation, inexact, exigent, actuate, 112 more
through Proto-Hellenic *ágō ‘to lead, to guide’
strategy, axiom, stratagem, glucagon, 23 more
through Ancient Greek ἀγών ‘contest’
antagonist, antagonism, agonist, antagonize, agonize, 8 more
Today it means
noun Extreme pain or anguish.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- / agony