gratitude
/ˈɡrætɪtjuːd/
noun
Origin
Latin
gratus — pleasing, thankful
Overview
Meaning Now
- The quality or feeling of being thankful or appreciative.
- A state of readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Literal older meaning
the state of being pleasing or thankful
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
gratitude
Earliest period
late 15th century
Journey
The term entered English during the late 15th century, derived from the Latin 'gratitudo', which in turn stems from 'gratus'. It gained prominence as a refined way to describe the social obligation of reciprocating a benefit, distinct from the more visceral or impulsive feeling of thanks.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*gʷerH-
“to praise”
- Latin
gratus
“pleasing, agreeable, thankful”
- Late Latin
gratitudo
“thankfulness”
Formation with the suffix -tudo
- Middle French
gratitude
“thankfulness”
Connections
Word parts
grat-
root
pleasing, favor
-itude
suffix
state or condition of
Related across languages
French
thankfulness
Spanish
gratitud
thankfulness
Italian
gratitudine
thankfulness
Related words
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Related to gratitude
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.