English
depression
Depression comes from Latin dēpressiō ‘a pressing down, a sinking down, a depression’, and goes back to premō.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpremō‘to press’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēprimō‘to press down’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēpressiō‘a pressing down’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400depression
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1879same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpremō‘to press’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēprimō‘to press down’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēpressiō‘a pressing down’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400depression
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1879same form
Earliest quotation: 1879, Richard Jefferies, London: Smith: “It was not far from the house; but the…”
Formed from depress + -ion
Latin premō ‘to press’
Latin dēprimō ‘to press down, to weigh down’
Latin dēpressus ‘depressed’
Old French depresser
Middle English depressen
English depress
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pres- ‘to press’
first, expression, frist, impressionable, impressionist, impressionism, 31 more
through Proto-Italic *pres-
pressure, express, impressive, impression, impress, compression, oppression, suppression, compress, repress, 36 more
through Latin premō ‘to press, push, press close or hard, oppress,…’
press, pregnant, imprint, sprain, reprimand, imprimatur, 46 more
Today it means
noun A state of mind producing serious, long-term lowering of enjoyment of life or inability to visualize a happy future; any of several mental disorders with this state of mind as a central feature.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin premō / depression