pernoctation

English

WOTD – 13 November 2011, 6 April 2021

Etymology

PIE word
*nókʷts

Learned borrowing from Late Latin pernoctātiō (“act of spending of the night (doing something, particularly praying)”), from pernoctō (“to spend the night”) +‎ -tiō (action noun suffix). Pernoctō is from per- (prefix with the sense of completion or entirety forming verbs) + nox (“night; darkness”). By surface analysis, pernoctate +‎ -ion.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌpɜːnɒkˈteɪʃn̩/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌpɜɹnɑkˈteɪʃ(ə)n/, /pɜɹˌnɑk-/

• Audio (Northern California):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən
• Hyphenation: per‧noct‧a‧tion

Noun

pernoctation (countable and uncountable, plural pernoctations) (formal)

1. (uncountable) The action of abiding through the night at a location; (countable) an instance of this; an overnight stay.
   • 1685, R. H. [pseudonym; Abraham Woodhead], “Part I”, in An Historical Narration of the Life and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [s.n.], →OCLC, § 113, page 88:

     The next morning they [Mary and Joseph] return back with ſpeed toward Jeruſalem; and at night repairing to their former lodging, neither there it ſeems heard they any thing of him [Jesus] (which argues, for this time of his abſence his pernoctation in the Temple), and ſo they muſt paſs this ſecond night alſo in great deſolation.

   • 1880 November, Statutes Proposed to be Made by the University of Oxford Commissioners for Exeter College, Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire: E. Pickard Hall, […], and J. H. Stacy, […], →OCLC, part III, section 15, page 11:

     For the purposes of this clause, residing in Oxford shall mean the occupation of a dwelling-house or lodging in Oxford with pernoctation, and residing in College shall mean the occupation of rooms in College, or of a house in immediate communication with the College, with pernoctation.

2. (uncountable) The action of walking about at night, especially as a vigil or watch; (countable) an instance of this.
   • 1958, W[illiam] C[onrad] Costin, The History of St. John’s College, Oxford, 1598–1890, Oxford, Oxfordshire: University Press, →OCLC, page 21:

     In 1599 S^r Robert Leech and S^r John Meades were guilty of pernoctation and breaking windows. They had been sent to prison by the Proctor.

3. (countable, religion, chiefly Christianity, obsolete) A religious watch kept during normal sleeping hours, during which prayers or other ceremonies are performed; a vigil.
   • 1772, John Glen King, “The Order of the After-vespers”, in The Rites and Ceremonies of the Greek Church, in Russia; […], London: […] W. Owen, […]; J[ames] Dodsley, […]; J[ohn] Rivington, […]; and T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt, […], →OCLC, footnote 6, page 82:

     [I]n general the veſpers begin a little before ſunſet; the matins at four o'clock in the morning, and the liturgy or communion about nine; and when the vigil, or pernoctation, is performed, that ſervice begins after ſunſet; and there is no ſervice, in the morning following, till the communion.

Usage notes

The sense of a religious watch may apply either to a holy vigil or to diabolical activities.

Related terms

• pernoctate

Translations

action of abiding through the night at a location; overnight stay

• Finnish: yöpyminen (fi)
• German: Übernachtung (de) f
• Spanish: pernoctación

action of walking about at night; instance of this

• Finnish: yövartio
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

religious watch kept during normal sleeping hours

• Finnish: yömessu
• Russian: ночное бде́ние n (nočnoje bdénije)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

Anagrams

• percontation