passion (English)
Where does "passion" come from?
The English noun 'passion' traces its ultimate roots to the Proto-Indo-European root '*peh₁-' meaning 'to hurt'[1]. This led to the Latin deponent verb 'patior' meaning 'I suffer', which yielded the noun 'passio' meaning 'suffering'[1]. The term entered Middle English as 'passioun' through Old French 'passion' and partly from Old English 'passion', initially carrying the religious sense of Christ's suffering[1][5]. Over time, the meaning broadened from physical and spiritual suffering into strong emotions and desires, aided by semantic influence from Ancient Greek '[4].
Open questions
- The derivation of the Latin verb patior from Proto-Indo-European is disputed, with competing theories suggesting an irregular participle from *peh₁- or alternatively a connection to *pet- meaning to fly or fall. [6]
Full etymology tree
- passion (English), 'A true desire sustained or prolonged.'
- derived passioun (Middle English), 'passion, suffering (that which must be endured)'
- derived passion (Old French), 'passion (suffering)'
- borrowed passio (Latin), 'suffering; enduring'
- derived passus (Latin), 'suffered, having suffered, experienced, undergone'
- derived patior (Latin), 'to suffer, endure, tolerate'
- derived *patos (Proto-Italic)
- derived *ph₁-tós (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *peh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to hate, hurt'
- derived *ph₁-tós (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *patos (Proto-Italic)
- derived patior (Latin), 'to suffer, endure, tolerate'
- derived passus (Latin), 'suffered, having suffered, experienced, undergone'
- borrowed passio (Latin), 'suffering; enduring'
- derived passio (Old English), 'the passion of Christ or the passage of the Bible describing it'
- borrowed passio (Latin), 'suffering; enduring'
- derived passus (Latin), 'suffered, having suffered, experienced, undergone'
- derived patior (Latin), 'to suffer, endure, tolerate'
- derived *patos (Proto-Italic)
- derived *ph₁-tós (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *peh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to hate, hurt'
- derived *ph₁-tós (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *patos (Proto-Italic)
- derived patior (Latin), 'to suffer, endure, tolerate'
- derived passus (Latin), 'suffered, having suffered, experienced, undergone'
- borrowed passio (Latin), 'suffering; enduring'
- derived passion (Old French), 'passion (suffering)'
- derived passioun (Middle English), 'passion, suffering (that which must be endured)'
Ancestors
- *peh₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
- passioun (Middle English)
- passion (Old French)
- passion (Old English)
- passio (Latin)
Cognates and doublets
- 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌰𐌽 (Gothic)
- feond (Old English)
Descendants and derived words
- cardiac passion (English)
- counterpassion (English)
- crime of passion (English)
- dispassion (English)
- empassion (English)
- grande passion (English)
- grand passion (English)
- heat of passion (English)
- ileac passion (English)
- iliac passion (English)
- impassionate (English)
- impassionate (English)
Sources
- passion (English) - Wiktionary
- passion (Old English) - Wiktionary
- passion (Old French) - Wiktionary
- passio (Latin) - Wiktionary
- passioun (Middle English) - Wiktionary
- patior (Latin) - Wiktionary
- πάθος (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- peth₂- (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
- passus (Latin) - Wiktionary
Updated September 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris