English
sympathy
Sympathy comes from Late Latin sympathīa ‘feeling in common’, from Ancient Greek πᾰ́θος ‘experience’, and ultimately from πάσχω.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπάσχωpáskhō‘to undergo, experience’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπᾰ́θοςpắthos‘experience’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμπᾰθής‘affected by like feelings’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμπᾰ́θειᾰsŭmpắtheiă‘fellow feeling’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsympathīa‘feeling in common’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600sympathie
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593sympathy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπάσχωpáskhō‘to undergo, experience’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπᾰ́θοςpắthos‘experience’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμπᾰθής‘affected by like feelings’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσῠμπᾰ́θειᾰsŭmpắtheiă‘fellow feeling’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsympathīa‘feeling in common’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600sympathie
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1588–1593sympathy
Earliest quotation: c. 1588–1593, William Shakespeare, London: […] Iohn Danter: “Oh vvhat a ſimpathie of vvoe is this, /…”
Formed from sym- ‘acting or considered together’ + -pathy ‘feeling’
Ancient Greek σύν ‘with, in company with, together with’
English sym-
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kʷendʰ- ‘to suffer, endure’
through Ancient Greek πάσχω ‘to undergo, experience’
Today it means
noun A feeling of pity or sorrow for the suffering or distress of another.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek πάσχω / sympathy