Where does “clemency” come from?
Clemency comes from Latin clementia, formed from the Latin adjective clemens with the suffix -ia, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European -h₂.
clemency (English): The gentle or kind exercise of power; leniency,...
Definitions
- The gentle or kind exercise of power; leniency,...
Ancestry of “clemency”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | clementia | mercy, clemency; gentleness, mildness; clemency,... |
| 2 | Latin | -ia | Used to form a feminine abstract noun, usually... |
| 3 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |