Suppliants and supplicants?

[ihcoyc]

Etymologically and notionally, both *suppliants* and *supplicants* are making impassioned and formal pleas for aid from positions of deep humility.

At least to my ear, though, there is a clear distinction between the two, and the words are not redundant to each other. A supplicant craves mercy from the angered, typically from the majesty he has

Comments

[mhw]

That's an interesting question. I shall have to ponder that.

[mhw]

I've pondered :)

OED2 distinguishes between suppliant and supplicant in that it marks the former as "In mod. use poet. or rhet." and the latter as "Now rare exc. arch.".

Both apparently have the same connotation of "a humble petitioner"; the only evident distinction is the sense (marked spec.) of supplicant to mean "one who supplicates for a degree"; that sense of supplicate is given as "spec. intr. In Oxford University, to present a formal petition for a degree or for incorporation. †Also trans., to present such a petition to (Congregation)."

So there's no OED2 evidence for the differentiation that you perceive, I'm afraid.

As to the verbal form of suppliant, my best guess is the OED2's second verb entry for supply, given that they both derive from the French supplier. It's marked arch.; the last exampled use of the 'trans. with person as obj.' form is dated 1539: St. Papers Hen. VIII, I. 604, "I supplie Our Blessed Creatour to sende Your Highnes encreace of honour."

I hope that's of some use to you!

I blame Aeschylus

[ihcoyc]

For the connotation that suppliants rather than supplicants are seeking defense from a pursuer, I blame Aeschylus, knowing that he is unlikely to respond. The usual use of "suppliant" in English is to translate his title 'Ικέτιδες (Hiketides), which refers to the Danaids seeking asylum with King Pelasgus to escape a forced marriage. To my knowledge no one has ever used "supplicant" in this context, or to translate the name of the play.

[kementari2]

I don't think there is a right verb for that. :( Searching for supplia* on dictionary.com doesn't list anything that looks right. You can back-form suppliate, but it's not a real word.