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lit·a·ny

(lĭtn-ē)

n. pl. lit·a·nies

1. Christianity A liturgical prayer consisting of a series of petitions recited by a leader alternating with fixed responses by the congregation.

2. A repetitive recital, series, or list: "the litany of layoffs in recent months by corporate giants" (Sylvia Nasar).

[Middle English letanie, from Old French, from Medieval Latin letanīa, from Late Latin litanīa, from Late Greek litaneia, from Greek, entreaty, from litaneuein, to entreat, from litanos, entreating, from litē, supplication.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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