Tell me more ×
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 1 down vote favorite

As a non native speaker, I thought that the words world weary referred to someone who carries the world on his/her shoulder or someone who wears/puts on the world. Then I noticed that the word weary has a different meaning. Is there any relationship between wear and weary in this context? Is there anyone who is able to explain the etymology of this phrase?

share|improve this question

3 Answers

up vote 0 down vote accepted

I always thought the usage world-weary was derived from the story of Atlas. Atlas is described as Atlas Telamon (Atlas the Enduring) and also as "The world-weary Atlas" when Hercules encounters him during his quest for The Apples of the Hesperides.(I couldn't find the Homeric greek for "the world-weary Atlas.")

share|improve this answer
It's a nice visualization, and may indeed be the source of the phrase, but I doubt the Greek etymology for the words "to wear" and "weary" is any closer than the English. The query seems to imply the words themselves are related. – onomatomaniak Sep 22 '11 at 7:36
You're right, the two words are distinct. Maybe I was taking the question too literally- OP asks if there is a relation between wear and weary "in this context*. – Autoresponder Sep 22 '11 at 7:41
@onomatomaniak : I'll be happy to post my reply as a comment if that will be better. – Autoresponder Sep 22 '11 at 7:49
1  
This is exactly what I meant, but I could not remember the example of Atlas. I am glad that you mentioned about it. So in this context, there is a relationship :) – kiraz Sep 22 '11 at 19:09
up vote 3 down vote

Though the words look similar, they are not related in the way you'd thought. Their pronunciations are different, too.

To wear is pronounced [wair] and is derived from O.E. werian, meaning "to clothe, put on".

Weary is pronounced [weer-ee] and comes from O.E. werig, meaning "tired".

World-weary has nothing to do, literally, with the act of wearing or carrying anything; as a mnemonic device, though, that may be a helpful way to think of it.

share|improve this answer
up vote 1 down vote

In the words of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), ‘world-weary’ means ‘Weary of the world; feeling or indicating feelings of weariness, boredom, or cynicism as a result of long experience of life.’ Its first recorded use is in 1750.

The ‘weary’ element takes its sense from the OED’s second main definition of the adjective: ‘Discontented at the continuance or continued recurrence of something, and desiring its cessation; having one's patience, tolerance, zeal, or energy exhausted; “sick and tired” of something.’

share|improve this answer
I am afraid something is missing in my question. I know the definition of the phrase, however I am looking for a relationship between wear and weary. It seemed to me that a world weary person could be someone who carried the world, so that could be reason why she is unhappy about the life. – kiraz Sep 22 '11 at 7:03
No, I don’t think that’s it. As I said, it derives from ‘weary’ meaning ‘discontented’, etc. Nothing to do with ‘wear’ as in ‘wearing clothes’. That has a quite different etymology. – Barrie England Sep 22 '11 at 7:22

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.