English
immortality
Immortality comes from Latin immortālis ‘immortal, undying, not subject to death’, from mortālis ‘mortal’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mer- ‘to die’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mer-‘to die’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mértis ~ *mr̥téysreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mortis‘death’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmors‘death’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmortālis‘mortal’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimmortālis‘immortal, undying, not subject to death’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimmortālitās
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400immortalité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500immortalitee
- Englishearliest quotation 1837immortality
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mer-‘to die’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mértis ~ *mr̥téysreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mortis‘death’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmors‘death’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmortālis‘mortal’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimmortālis‘immortal, undying, not subject to death’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEimmortālitās
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400immortalité
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500immortalitee
- Englishearliest quotation 1837immortality
Earliest quotation: 1837, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, The Marriage Morning: “In the little, as in the great things of…”
Formed from immortal + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *mer- ‘to die’
…
Proto-Italic *mortis ‘death’
Latin mors ‘death’
Latin mortālis ‘mortal’
Latin immortālis ‘immortal, undying, not subject to death’
English immortal
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mer- ‘to die’
remember, march, murder, marine, nightmare, mere, marsh, maritime, mare, mara, muller, mortar, moor, morbid, morn, ambrosia, mortuary, marinate, marinara, maar, moribund, cormorant, mortally, mortier, 57 more
through Proto-Italic *mortis ‘death’
mortification, mortician, 8 more
through Latin mors ‘death’
through Latin mortālis ‘mortal’
Today it means
noun Never dying
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mer- / immortality