English/Spanish Cognate of the Day

English

sepulchral adj.- gloomy/dismal

or

of or relating to a tomb/interment

Spanish

sepulcral

Etymology

sepulchral (adj.) 1610s, “pertaining to a burial or place of burial,” from Latin sepulcralis “of a tomb, sepulchral,” from sepulcrum (see sepulchre) + -al (1). Transferred sense of “gloomy” is from 1711. Related: Sepulchrally.

sepulchre (n.) also sepulcher, c.1200, “tomb, burial place,” especially the cave where Jesus was buried outside Jerusalem (Holy Sepulcher or Saint Sepulcher), from Old Frenchsepulcre “tomb; the Holy Sepulchre” (11c.), from Latin sepulcrum “grave, tomb, place where a corpse is buried,” from root of sepelire “to bury, embalm,” originally “to perform rituals on a corpse,” from PIE *sep-el-yo-, suffixed form of root *sep- (2) “to handle (skillfully), to hold (reverently);” cognates: Sanskrit saparyati “honors.” No reason for the -ch- spelling, which dates to 13c. Whited sepulchre “hypocrite” is from Matt. xxiii.27.