The spelling of the word "mortify" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The IPA transcription of "mortify" is /ˈmɔːtɪfaɪ/. The word is spelled with the letter "o" followed by the letter "r", which is pronounced as /ɔː/. The letter "t" is followed by the letter "i", pronounced as /ɪ/. The final syllable is spelled with the letters "f", "y", and "fatigue". The word "mortify" means to cause someone to feel embarrassed, ashamed or humiliated.
To mortify means to cause extreme embarrassment, shame, or humiliation to oneself or another person, often as a result of one's actions, words, or appearance. It involves a deep feeling of self-consciousness and a sense of disgrace or loss of dignity. The term can be used to describe both internal feelings and external reactions.
Internally, to mortify can refer to a feeling of inward shame or humiliation that arises from a personal failure, mistake, or embarrassing situation. It may involve intense feelings of regret or self-reproach. Externally, to mortify can describe the act of deliberately causing or inflicting embarrassment or humiliation upon someone, usually as a form of punishment, discipline, or revenge. This can be done through public exposure of their mistakes or through insults, ridicule, or scorn.
Mortify is also commonly used in religious contexts. In this sense, it refers to the act of denying oneself pleasures or indulgences as a means of purifying the soul, practicing self-discipline, or achieving spiritual growth. This often involves renouncing worldly desires or experiencing physical discomfort as a form of penance.
Overall, the term "mortify" encompasses the notion of deeply distressing or humiliating oneself or others, either internally or externally, leading to feelings of shame, embarrassment, and self-consciousness.
To destroy vital qualities; to subdue or bring into subjection, as the appetites or passions; to subdue the body to the mind, as by abstinence or severities; to humble or depress; to vex; to lose vitality, as flesh; to become corrupt.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
The word mortify originates from the Latin word mortificare, which is a combination of two elements: mors meaning death and facere meaning to make. Therefore, mortificare originally conveyed the meaning of making dead or killing. Over time, the word evolved to take on the figurative sense of humiliating, shaming, or reducing to a state of extreme embarrassment.