Etymograph

English

mortpay

Mortpay comes from French mort ‘dead’, from Latin morior ‘die’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mer-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mer-‘to die’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mr̥yétor‘to die’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moriōr‘to die’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmorior‘die’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmortuus‘dead, having died’
  6. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*mortureconstructed
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400mort
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘dead’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1622mortpay

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mer-‘to die’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mr̥yétor‘to die’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*moriōr‘to die’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmorior‘die’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEmortuus‘dead, having died’
  6. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*mortureconstructed
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400mort
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘dead’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1622mortpay

Earliest quotation: 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam: “the severe punishing of mortpays and keeping back soldiers'…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *mer- ‘to die’

remember, march, murder, marine, nightmare, mere, maritime, marsh, mare, mara, mortality, muller, immortal, mortal, mortar, morbid, moor, ambrosia, marinate, marinara, morn, maar, cormorant, mortification, mortician, mortier, 57 more

through Latin morior ‘die’

moribund, 5 more

through Latin mortuus ‘dead, having died’

mortuary, 1 more

Today it means

noun The crime of taking pay for the service of dead soldiers, or for services not actually rendered by soldiers.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mer- / mortpay

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