fatigue

Where does the word "fatigue" come from? It comes from Latin fatigare, passing through French before entering English (1600s).

Fatigue’s story begins in Latin: fatigare meant “to tire out.” Army 'fatigues' were the work clothes for tiring manual duties. By medieval, the word had taken hold in French as fatigue. Carried into French for extreme tiredness. It reached English by 1600s as fatigue. Settled as the English word for extreme physical or mental tiredness. Today, fatigue means extreme tiredness resulting from physical or mental exertion.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient fatigare "to tire out", army 'fatigues' were the work clothes for tiring manual duties.
2. Stage 2 · French · medieval fatigue "extreme tiredness", carried into French for extreme tiredness.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s fatigue "extreme tiredness from exertion", settled as the English word for extreme physical or mental tiredness.