Ceremony - Etymology, Origin & Meaning (original) (raw)
Origin and history of ceremony
late 14c., cerymonye, "a religious observance, a solemn rite," from Old French ceremonie and directly from Medieval Latin ceremonia, from Latin caerimonia "holiness, sacredness; awe; reverent rite, sacred ceremony," an obscure word, possibly of Etruscan origin, or a reference to the ancient rites performed by the Etruscan pontiffs at Caere, near Rome.
Introduced in English by Wycliffe. Also from late 14c. as "a conventional usage of politeness, formality." The disparaging sense of "mere formality" is by 1550s.
Entries linking to ceremony
c. 1400, "belonging to (religious) ritual," also as a noun, "a ceremonial practice," from Late Latin caerimonialis "pertaining to ceremony," from caerimonia (see ceremony). Related: Ceremonially.
Ceremonial means connected with or constituting or consisting of or fit for a ceremony (i.e. a piece of ritual or formality) or ceremonies .... Ceremonious means full of or resulting from ceremony i.e. attention to forms .... [Fowler]
1550s, "relating to outward forms or rites," also, of persons, "punctilious in matters of formality," from French cérémonieux or directly from Late Latin caerimoniosus, from Latin caerimonia "reverent rite, sacred ceremony" (see ceremony). The meaning "full of show and ceremony" is from 1610s. Related: Ceremoniously; ceremoniousness.
More to explore
[mid-13c., observaunce, "act performed in accordance with prescribed usage," especially a religious or ceremonial one; late 14c., "care, concern, act of paying attention (to something)," from Old French observance, osservance "observance, discipline," and directly from Latin obser](/word/observance "mid-13c., observaunce, "act performed in accordance with prescribed usage," especially a religious or ceremonial one; late 14c., "care, concern, act of paying attention (to something)," from Old French observance, osservance "observance, discipline," and directly from Latin obser")
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