'Serenity' is Latin for 'clear skies' — transferred from cloudless weather to human composure.
The state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil composure; also used as a title of respect for certain rulers ('His/Her Serenity').
From Latin 'serēnitātem' (clearness, brightness, fair weather; calm, serenity), from 'serēnus' (clear, fair, bright, serene). The original meaning was meteorological: 'serēnus' described a cloudless, fair-weather sky. The transfer from atmospheric calm to emotional calm was natural and ancient — already in classical Latin, 'serēnus' could describe a person's countenance or disposition as well as the weather. A serene person, like a serene sky, is clear of disturbance. Key
Latin 'serēnus' originally described clear, fair-weather skies — not human emotions. The metaphorical transfer ('a serene person' = 'a person like a cloudless sky') happened in ancient Latin itself. The word 'serenade' may be related: Italian 'serenata' originally meant 'evening music' — performed under serene, clear evening skies.
Words closest in meaning, ranked by similarity