peregrination

Definition

A person's life regarded as a temporary stay on earth and a journey to the afterlife.

Etymology

From Late Middle English peregrinacioun, peregrinacion (“journey; pilgrimage; (figuratively) human journey through life”), from Anglo-Norman peregrinaciun (“human journey through life”), peregrination (“pilgrimage; overseas travel”), and Old French peregrinacion, peregrination (“pilgrimage; overseas travel”) (modern French pérégrination), and from their etymon Latin peregrīnātiō (“overseas sojourn or travel; (Late Latin) pilgrimage; sojourn; human journey through life”), from peregrīnātus (“living or travelling overseas”) + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns). Peregrīnātus is the perfect passive participle of peregrīnor (“to live or travel overseas; to be overseas; to roam, rove; to be a stranger”), from peregrīnus (“alien, foreign; exotic”) (from peregrē̆ (“abroad; from abroad; heading abroad”) + -īnus (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘of or pertaining to’)) + -or (suffix forming first-person singular present passive indicative verbs).

Example Sentences

• "It is true our life in this vvorld is not called a baniſhment any vvhere in the Scripture: but a pilgrimage, a peregrination, a travell; but perigrinatio cum ignominia conjunctu, exilium; he that leaves his Countrey becauſe he vvas aſhamed, or afraid to return to it, or to ſtay in it, is a baniſhed man."
• "According to the mode of that time, he [Cnut the Great] made a pilgrimage to Rome, with a view to expiate the crimes, which paved his way to the throne; but he made a good use of this peregrination, and returned full of the observations he had made in the country, through which he had passed, which he turned to the benefit of his extensive dominions."
• "By what I have touch’d in the Chapter of the Elms, concerning the peregrination of that Tree into Spain (where even in Plinie’s time there were none, and where now they are in great abundance) why ſhould we not more generally endeavour to propagate the Ilex amongſt us; […]"

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