stupor
/ˈstjuːpər/
noun
Origin
Latin
stupere — to be struck senseless, be amazed or stunned
Overview
Meaning Now
- A state of near-unconsciousness or insensibility.
- A state of extreme apathy or suspension of the senses.
Literal older meaning
numbness, insensibility
Language path
Latin → English
Earliest form
stupor
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word entered English through medical Latin to describe conditions of mental or physical lethargy, often associated with fevers, shock, or the effects of narcotics.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*steup-
“to push, strike”
- Latin
stupere
“to be stunned, be motionless”
Source of the noun stupor.
- Middle English
stupor
“insensibility, trance”
Borrowed directly from Latin.
Connections
Word parts
stup-
root
stunned, motionless
-or
suffix
abstract noun marker
Related across languages
French
stupeur
stupor, astonishment
Spanish
estupor
stupor, amazement
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Related to stupor
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.