different between hasty vs mercurial

English

Etymology

From Middle English hasty, of unclear origin. Likely a new formation in Middle English equivalent to haste +? -y, found as in other Germanic languages (Old Frisian hastig, Middle Dutch haestigh (> Dutch haastig (“hasty”)), Middle Low German hastich (“hasty”), German hastig, Danish hastig, Swedish hastig (“hasty”)); otherwise possibly representing an assimilation to the foregoing of Middle English hastive, hastif (> English hastive), from Old French hastif (Modern French hâtif), from Frankish *haifst (“violence”), of same ultimate origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?he?sti/
• Rhymes: -e?sti

Adjective

hasty (comparative hastier, superlative hastiest)

1. Acting in haste; being too hurried or quick
   • 1610, Alexander Cooke, Pope Joane, in William Oldys, editor, The Harleian Miscellany: or, A Collection of Scarce, Curious, and Entertaining Pamphlets and Tracts, as well in Manuscript as in Print, Found in the Late Earl of Oxford's Library: Interspersed with Historical, Political, and Critical Notes: With a Table of the Contents, and an Alphabetical Index, volume IV, London: Printed for T[homas] Osborne, in Gray's-Inn, 1744, OCLC 5325177; republished as John Maltham, editor, The Harleian Miscellany; or, A Collection of Scarce, Curious, and Entertaining Pamphlets and Tracts, as well in Manuscript as in Print, Found in the Late Earl of Oxford's Library, Interspersed with Historical, Political, and Critical Notes, volume IV, London: Printed for R. Dutton, 1808–1811, OCLC 30776079, page 95:

     If there bee any lasie fellow, any that cannot away with worke, any that would wallow in pleasures, hee is hastie to be priested. And when hee is made one, and has gotten a benefice, he consorts with his neighbour priests, who are altogether given to pleasures; and then both hee, and they, live, not like Christians, but like epicures; drinking, eating, feasting, and revelling, till the cow come home, as the saying is.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• sayth, yasht

English

Etymology

Noun sense 1 (“(obsolete) plant known as mercury”) is from Middle English mercurial, mercuryal (“a plant, probably the goosefoot (Chenopodium); (possibly) dog's mercury (Mercurialis perennis)”), from Anglo-Norman mercurial and Old French mercurial, or directly from their etymon Latin mercuri?lis (“a plant, probably annual mercury (Mercurialis annua)”), from mercuri?lis (“pertaining to the Roman god Mercury”, adjective), from Mercurius (“the Roman god Mercury”) + -?lis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship from nouns).

Later adjective and noun uses may have been directly derived from Latin mercuri?lis (adjective), whence Middle English mercurial, Mercurial (“under the astrological influence of the planet Mercury”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /m???kj??.??.?l/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /m??kj?.?i.?l/, /-?kj?-/
• Hyphenation: mer?cu?ri?al

Noun

mercurial (plural mercurials)

1. (obsolete) Any of the plants known as mercury, especially the annual mercury or French mercury (Mercurialis annua). [13th–17th c.]
2. (astrology) A person born under the influence of the planet Mercury; hence, a person having an animated, lively, quick-witted or volatile character. [from 16th c.]
3. (chemistry) A chemical compound containing mercury.
4. (pharmacology, historical) A preparation of mercury, especially as a treatment for syphilis. [from 17th c.]

Alternative forms

• mercuriall (obsolete)

Translations

Adjective

mercurial (comparative more mercurial, superlative most mercurial)

1. (comparable) Having a lively or volatile character; animated, changeable, quick-witted. [from 17th c.]

   Synonyms: fickle, unpredictable
2. (not comparable, astrology) Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Mercury; having the characteristics of a person under such influence (see adjective sense 1). [from 16th c.]
3. (not comparable, astronomy) Pertaining to the planet Mercury. [from 14th c.]
5. (not comparable, chemistry) Of or pertaining to the element mercury or quicksilver; containing mercury. [from 16th c.]
6. (not comparable, medicine) Caused by the action of mercury or a mercury compound.
7. (not comparable, Roman mythology) Pertaining to Mercury, the Roman god of, among other things, commerce, financial gain, communication, and thieves and trickery; hence (comparable), money-making; crafty. [from 15th c.]

Alternative forms

• mercuriall (obsolete)
• (pertaining to the Roman god Mercury or planet Mercury): Mercurial

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Notes

References

Further reading

• Mercurialis (plant) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• mercury (element) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Mercury (mythology) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Mercury (planet) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Interlingua

Adjective

mercurial (not comparable)

1. mercurial, pertaining to mercury (metal)

Middle English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin mercuri?lis, Mercuri?lis (“pertaining to the Roman god Mercury”).

Noun

mercurial (uncountable)

1. (botany) A plant belonging to the genus Chenopodium; a goosefoot.

   Synonym: mercurie

Alternative forms

• mercuriale

Adjective

mercurial

1. (astrology, astronomy) Pertaining to or under the influence of the planet Mercury.

Alternative forms

• Mercurial

Descendants

• English: mercurial

References

• “mercuri?l, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 5 May 2019.
• “Mercuri?l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 5 May 2019.

Romanian

Etymology

From French mercuriel, from Latin mercurialis.

Adjective

mercurial m or n (feminine singular mercurial?, masculine plural mercuriali, feminine and neuter plural mercuriale)

1. mercurial

Declension

Spanish

Adjective

mercurial (plural mercuriales)

1. mercurial