Month: August 2020

“the state of being an accomplice, partnership in wrongdoing or an objectionable act,” 1650s, from French complicité, from Old French complice “accomplice, comrade, companion” (14c.), from Late Latin complicem, accusative of complex “partner, confederate,” from Latin complicare “to fold together,” from com “with, together” (see com-) + plicare “to fold, weave” (from PIE root *plek- “to plait”). Compare accomplice.

“depreciative, disparaging, giving a low or bad sense to,” 1888, from French péjoratif, from Late Latin peiorat-, past-participle stem of peiorare “make worse,” from Latin peior “worse,” perhaps originally “stumbling,” from PIE *ped-yos-, suffixed (comparative) form of *ped- “to walk, stumble, impair,” from root *ped- “foot.” As a noun, “a word that depreciates the sense,” from 1882. English had a verb pejorate “to worsen” from 1640s.

late 14c., “to bear, endure (grief, pain, etc.; sense now obsolete), from Old French comporter “endure, admit of, allow; behave” (13c.) and directly from Latin comportare “to bring together, collect,” from com “with, together” (see com-) + portare “to carry” (from PIE root *per- (2) “to lead, pass over”).

Meaning “to agree, accord, be suitable” (with with) is from 1580s. Meaning “to behave, conduct” (with a reflexive pronoun) is from 1610s. Related: Comported; comporting.

“passionate ardor in pursuit of an objective or course of action,” late 14c., from Old French zel (Modern French zèle) and directly from Late Latin zelus “zeal, emulation” (source also of Italian zelo, Spanish celo), a Church word, from Greek zēlos “ardor, eager rivalry, emulation,” “a noble passion” [Liddell & Scott], but also “jealousy;” from PIE *ya- “to seek, request, desire.” From mid-15c. as “devotion.”

early 14c., “member of a militant 1st century Jewish sect which fiercely resisted the Romans in Palestine,” from Late Latin zelotes, from Greek zēlōtēs “one who is a zealous follower,” from zēloōn “to be zealous,” from zēlos “zeal” (see zeal). Extended sense of “a fanatical enthusiast” first recorded 1630s (earlier in this sense was zelator, mid-15c.).

from Old English eornoste (adj.) “zealous, serious,” or from Old English noun eornost “seriousness, serious intent” (surviving only in the phrase in earnest), from Proto-Germanic *er-n-os-ti- (source also of Old Saxon ernust, Old Frisian ernst, Old High German arnust “seriousness, firmness, struggle,” German Ernst “seriousness;” Gothic arniba “safely, securely;” Old Norse ern “able, vigorous,” jarna “fight, combat”), perhaps from PIE root *er- (1) “to move, set in motion.” The proper name Ernest (literally “resolute”) is from the same root. Related: Earnestness.