2762: Pomp to Psychopomp Jul 13, 2024

‘Pomp’ and ‘pompous’ don’t mean exactly the same thing as another –ous suffix pair like ‘fury’ and ‘furious,’ but one can still understand the connection. ‘Psychopomp,’ on the other hand, referring to any mythical figure whose job it is to guide a soul through the afterlife, on its surface has nothing to do with either ‘pomp’ or ‘pompous.’

‘Pomp’ ultimately originates from the Ancient Greek πομπή (pompē), meaning a solemn procession or display. It historically transferred to signify grandeur and ceremonial splendor. ‘Pompous’ derives directly from ‘pomp,’ initially describing something characterized by grandeur or splendor. However, over centuries, ‘pompous’ shifted in connotation, now used to describe individuals who exhibit self-importance and excessive dignity, without any necessary splendor.

‘Psychopomp,’ then, is the only one of these terms that still refers to a procession, with the compound literally meaning ‘soul-conductor’ as the one who leads a procession. It is typical that the newer a word is, the more it retains its older source’s meaning. This word is relatively modern, originating around 1860 and gaining popularity since the mid-20th century, mostly still in academic circles.