Etymology of the English word sympathy
the English word
sympathyderived from the Latin word
sympathia (feeling in common; sympathy)
derived from the Greek word
sumpatheia, συμπάθεια
derived from the Greek word
sumpathes, συμπαθής (having a fellow-feeling ('sympathetic'); mutually commiserative)
derived from the Greek word
pathos, πάθος (disease; properly, suffering ('pathos'); (subjectively) a passion (especially concupiscence))
using the Greek prefix
sun-, συν-
derived from the Greek word
sun, σύν (together; with or together ; by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.)
Date
The earliest known usage of sympathy in English dates from the 16th century.
Derivations in English
dyspathy,
theopathyCognates
Dutch
sympathie, French
sympathie, German
Sympathie, Norwegian
sympati, Swedish
sympatiUsage
Word found in Modern English
