Definition of mourn

The word "mourn" comes from the Old French word "mourre," meaning "sorrow" or "grief." This term was borrowed from Latin, where it was "Mori" or "Morem," which originally referred to the act of dying. In Latin, "Mori" had multiple meanings, such as "to die," "to be sorrowful," and "to mourn." This ambiguity in meaning eventually led to the use of the Latin word "Morem" to specifically mean "mourn" or "grieve" in later centuries. The term was then adopted by Old French, which added the suffix "-re" to signify its past participle form. In Middle English, around the 13th century, this Old French term became "mouren" and "mouryouen" and eventually evolved into "mourn" in modern English. Thus, the word "mourn" today continues to carry the weight of its past meanings, encapsulating the emotions and experiences associated with both death and grief.