| Pathetic, | } |
| Pathetical, | |
| Pathetically. |
The ‘pathetic’ is now only one kind of the passionate, that which, feeling pity, is itself capable of stirring it; but ‘pathetic’ or ‘pathetical’ and ‘passionate’ were once of an equal reach. When in a language like ours two words, derived from two different languages, as in this case from the Greek and from the Latin, exist side by side, being at the same time identical in signification, the desynonymizing process which we may note here, continually comes into play.
He [Hiel, cf. Josh. vi. 26 and 1 Kings xvi. 34] mistood Joshua’s curse rather for a pathetical expression than prophetical prediction.—Fuller, A Pisgah Sight of Palestine, b. ii. c. 12.
Whatever word enhanceth Joseph’s praise,
Her echo doubles it, and doth supply
Some more pathetic and transcendant phrase
To raise his merit.
Beaumont, Psyche, c. i. st. 148.
For Truth, I know not how, hath this unhappiness fatal to her, ere she can come to the trial and inspection of the understanding; being to pass through many little wards and limits of the several affections and desires, she cannot shift it, but must put on such colours and attire as those pathetical handmaids of the soul please to lead her in to their queen.—Milton, Reason of Church Government, b. ii. c. 3.
But the principal point whereon our apostle pitcheth for evincing the priesthood of Christ to be far more excellent than the Levitical priesthood was, was reserved to the last, and pathetically though briefly avouched, ver. 20 [Heb. vii. 20].—Jackson, Of the Divine Essence and Attributes, b. ix. § 2.