immortal
Meaning
Living forever; never dying or decaying.
A being that lives forever, especially a god or a person of enduring fame.
Structure
Usage
The ancient gods were believed to be immortal.
He achieved immortal fame through his revolutionary discoveries.
The vampire is a classic mythical immortal creature.
Etymology
The word 'immortal' is a direct inheritance from Latin immortalis, formed by the negative prefix in- (meaning "not") combined with mortalis ("subject to death"). The root mort- traces back to the Proto-Indo-European stem mer-, which meant "to die" or "to disappear," a concept fundamental to the human condition. The literal construction "not subject to death" perfectly captures the core meaning, which evolved from describing divine beings to also encompass lasting human achievements and fame that defy the oblivion of death. This logical negation of mortality provides a clear and enduring semantic link from its ancient components to its modern abstract and figurative uses.
Analysis
im: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "not" or "without," a variant of 'in-' used before 'm,' 'b,' or 'p.' mortal: From Latin mortalis, meaning "subject to death," derived from mors (death).