consternation
/ˌkɒnstəˈneɪʃən/
noun
Origin
Latin
consternare — to dismay, confuse, or terrify utterly
Overview
Meaning Now
- a feeling of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected.
Literal older meaning
a state of being utterly thrown into confusion or dismay
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
consternacion
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The word evolved from the Latin 'consternare', which originally implied being thrown into disorder, akin to a 'strewing' or being knocked down. By the time it entered English in the 17th century, it had shifted from the physical act of being thrown down to the psychological sensation of sudden, paralyzing alarm.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*ster-
“to spread, stretch out”
Root of sternere (to strew/throw down).
- Latin
consternare
“to bewilder or terrify”
Intensive form of sternere.
- Middle French
consternation
“dismay or alarm”
Adopted from Latin consternatio.
- English
consternation
“feeling of anxiety at something unexpected”
Connections
Word parts
con-
prefix
with, together (intensive)
stern
root
to throw down or scatter
-ation
suffix
forms a noun representing a state or condition
Related across languages
French
dismay
Spanish
consternación
dismay
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Related to consternation
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.