Miserere

Miserere (the imperative of Latin misereri, to have mercy or pity), the name of one of the Penitential Psalms (Psalm 51), from its opening words, Miserere mei, Deus. The best-known setting of the Miserere was composed by Gregorio Allegri.

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The word is frequently used in English as equivalent to Misericord (Lat. misericordia, pity, compassion) for various forms in which the rules of a monastic order or general discipline of the clergy might be relaxed; thus it is applied to. a special chamber in a monastery for those members who were allowed special food, drink, &c., and to a small bracket on the under side of the seat in a stall of a church made to turn up and afford support to a person in a position between sitting and standing.

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Misericord and miserere are also used of a small dagger, the dagger of mercy, capable of passing between the joints of armour, with which the coup de gr?ce might be given to a wounded man.

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Latin: Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. It gained great importance as the formal language of the Roman Empire. All Romance languages are descended from Latin, and many words based on Latin are found in other modern languages such as English. The ...

Penitential Psalms: The Penitential Psalms or Psalms of Confession is a name given from very early times to Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, and 130 (6, 31, 37, 50, 101, and 129 in the Septuagint numbering),...

Psalm 51: Psalm 51 (Psalm 50 in the Septuagint numbering) is one of the Penitential Psalms. It begins:...