Martyr etymology

English

English word martyr comes from Ancient Greek μάρτυρος, and later Middle English martir (Martyr.)

Etymology of martyr

Detailed word origin of martyr

Dictionary entry Language Definition
μάρτυρος Ancient Greek (grc)
μάρτυρ Ancient Greek (grc)
martyr Ecclesiastical Latin (la-ecc)
martir Old English (ang)
martir Middle English (enm) Martyr.
martyr English (en) (by extension) One who sacrifices his or her life, station, or something of great personal value, for the sake of principle or to sustain a cause.. (with a prepositional phrase of cause) One who suffers greatly and/or constantly, even involuntarily.. One who willingly accepts being put to death for adhering openly to one's religious beliefs; notably, saints canonized after martyrdom. [...]