miserere

See also: Miserere

English

Etymology

From Middle English miserere, a borrowing from Latin miserēre (“have pity”), first word of the 51st Psalm (50th in the older Greek and Latin numbering), translating Ancient Greek ἐλέησον (eléēson) and Biblical Hebrew חָנֵּנִי (ḥānnēnî), inflected form of חָנַן (ḥānan, “have mercy”).

Proper noun

miserere

1. Alternative letter-case form of Miserere (“the 51st/50th Psalm”)
   • 1807, [Germaine] de Staël Holstein, translated by D[ennis] Lawler, “[Book X. Holy week.] Chap[ter] IV.”, in Corinna; or, Italy. […], volume III, London: […] Corri, […]; and sold by Colburn, […], and Mackenzie, […], →OCLC, page 47:

     The miserere, that is to say, have mercy on us, is a psalm, composed of stanzas, which are sung alternately in a very different manner.

Noun

miserere (plural misereres)

1. An expression of lamentation or complaint.
2. A medieval dagger, used for the mercy stroke to a wounded foe; misericord.
3. (architecture) A small projecting boss or bracket on the underside of the hinged seat of a church stall, intended to give some support to a standing worshipper when the seat is turned up; a misericord.
4. Ileus.

References

• “miserere”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “miserere”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
• “miserere”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin miserēre (literally “have mercy!”), second-person singular active imperative form of miseror.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi.zeˈrɛ.re/
• Rhymes: -ɛre
• Hyphenation: mi‧se‧rè‧re

Noun

miserere m (invariable)

1. (Roman Catholicism) Miserere (51^st psalm)
2. miserere (expression of lamentation or complaint)

Related terms

• miseria
• misero

 

Verb

miserere!

1. (now only humorous) used as a second-person imperative form: Have mercy!

Further reading

• miserere in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• riemerse

Latin

Verb

miserēre

1. second-person singular present active subjunctive of miseror
2. second-person singular present passive subjunctive of miserō
3. present active infinitive of miseret
4. inflection of misereō:
   1. present active infinitive
   2. second-person singular present passive imperative/indicative
5. second-person singular present active imperative/indicative of misereor