agonía (Spanish)
Where does "agonía" come from?
The Spanish word 'agonía' entered the language as a borrowing from Latin 'agonia'[1]. Latin had previously borrowed the term from Ancient Greek 'ἀγωνία' ('agōnía')[1], which itself derives from the noun 'ἀγών' ('agṓn')[2]. In Greek, 'ἀγών' is linked as a corresponding noun to 'ἀγείρω' ('ageírō', meaning 'to gather'), while later developments in meaning were drawn from 'ἄγω' ('ágō', meaning 'to lead')[3].
Open questions
- The precise root of Ancient Greek 'ἀγών' is debated, as some sources connect it to 'ἀγείρω' with later senses from 'ἄγω', while linguist Robert Beekes considers all senses to derive exclusively from 'ἄγω'. [3]
Full etymology tree
- agonía (Spanish), 'agony, throes, agonizing'
- borrowed agonia (Latin)
- borrowed ἀγωνία (agōnía) (Ancient Greek), 'contest, struggle for victory'
- derived ἀγών (agṓn) (Ancient Greek), 'a gathering, an assembly'
- derived ἀγείρω (ageírō) (Ancient Greek), 'to collect, gather'
- influenced by ἄγω (ágō) (Ancient Greek), 'to lead, fetch, bring along (a living creature), take with'
- derived ἀγών (agṓn) (Ancient Greek), 'a gathering, an assembly'
- borrowed ἀγωνία (agōnía) (Ancient Greek), 'contest, struggle for victory'
- borrowed agonia (Latin)
Ancestors
- ἀγωνία (Ancient Greek)
Sources
- agonía (Spanish) - Wiktionary
- ἀγωνία (agōnía) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- ἀγών (agṓn) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris