Where does “litany” come from?
Litany comes from Old French letanie, from Ancient Greek λιτανεία, from Ancient Greek λιτή meaning supplication or entreaty.
litany (English): A ritual liturgical prayer in which a series of...
Definitions
- A ritual liturgical prayer in which a series of...
Ancestry of “litany”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | letanie | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | λιτανεία | prayer |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | -είᾱ | Superficially appears in abstract nouns derived from σ-stem adjectives, with the true suffix being |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ής | adjective suffix |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |