Where does “compassion fatigue” come from?

compassion fatigue (English) comes from English compassion, from Middle English compassioun, from Old French compassion, from Ecclesiastical Latin compassio, from Latin compatior, from Latin cōn-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

compassion fatigue (English): Exhaustion of the capacity to react with sympathy...

Definitions

  1. Exhaustion of the capacity to react with sympathy...

Ancestry of “compassion fatigue”, step by step

compassion fatigue traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English compassion

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcompassionDeep awareness of the suffering of another,...
2Middle Englishcompassiouncompassion empathy for the suffering
3Old Frenchcompassion
4Ecclesiastical Latincompassiosympathy; fellow suffering; sympathy, agreement,...
5Latincompatiorto suffer (with one); have compassion, (feel) pity
6Latincōn-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects
7Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
8Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
9Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt
13Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
14Old High Germankuti
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

via English fatigue

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfatigueA weariness caused by exertion; exhaustion; A...
2Frenchfatiguefatigue, weariness
3Frenchfatiguerto tire; to wear out, to drain; to make an effort
4Latinfatīgāre
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-Every word from Latin cōn-Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷet-
compassion fatigue — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer