oblivion (English)
Where does "oblivion" come from?
The English noun oblivion is inherited from Middle English 'oblivion'[1], which traces back through Anglo-Norman 'oblivion'[1][2] to the Latin noun 'oblīviō'[1][2], meaning 'forgetfulness'[1]. The Latin term itself derives from the verb 'oblīvīscor'[1][3], meaning 'to forget'[1].
Open questions
- The ultimate origin of the Latin verb obliviscor is uncertain, with a possible connection to the root of levis meaning smooth. [4]
Full etymology tree
- oblivion (English), 'The state of forgetting completely, of being oblivious, unconscious, unaware, as when sleeping, drunk, or dead.'
- inherited oblivion (Middle English), 'oblivion (state of forgetting completely)'
- borrowed oblivion (Anglo-Norman)
- derived oblivio (Latin), 'The act of forgetting, forgetfulness.'
- derived obliviscor (Latin), 'to forget'
- prefix ob- (Latin), 'towards; against'
- derived levis (Latin), 'smooth, not rough, smoothed, shining, rubbed'
- suffix -ēscor (Latin)
- suffix -io (Latin), 'Used to form abstract nouns from verbs.'
- derived obliviscor (Latin), 'to forget'
- derived oblivio (Latin), 'The act of forgetting, forgetfulness.'
- borrowed oblivion (Anglo-Norman)
- inherited oblivion (Middle English), 'oblivion (state of forgetting completely)'
Ancestors
- oblivion (Middle English)
- oblivio (Latin)
Descendants and derived words
- obliviate (English)
- oblivionate (English)
- oblivionize (English)
Sources
- oblivion (English) - Wiktionary
- oblivion (Middle English) - Wiktionary
- oblivio (Latin) - Wiktionary
- obliviscor (Latin) - Wiktionary
- oblivion (Old French) - Wiktionary
Updated September 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris