#081 - Longanimity

[mxcatmoon]

This week's word is

Longanimity

lon·​ga·​nim·​i·​ty ˌlȯŋ-gə-ˈni-mə-tē

noun
A disposition to bear injuries patiently: forbearance.


Longanimity is a word with a long history. It came to English in the 15th century from the Late Latin adjective longanimis, meaning "patient" or "long-suffering." Longanimis, in turn, derives from the Latin combination of longus ("long") and animus ("soul"). Longus is related to English's long and is itself an ancestor to several other English words, including longevity ("long life"), elongate ("to make longer"), and prolong ("to lengthen in time"). Now used somewhat infrequently in English, longanimity stresses the character of one who, like the figure of Job in the Bible, endures prolonged suffering with extreme patience.

From Dictionary.com:

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English longanimyte, from Late Latin longanimitās “patience,” equivalent to longanimi(s) “patient” (long(us) long1 + anim(us) “spirit” + -is adjective suffix) + -tās -ty2