maudlin
MAWD-lin · adjective
Origin
Maudlin comes from Middle English Maudelen, a dialectal pronunciation of the name Mary Magdalene, who was often depicted weeping. That name traveled through Old French Madelaine, from Late Latin Magdalena.
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Journey
The name, tied to depictions of tearful weeping, gradually shifted from a proper name into an ordinary adjective describing anyone overcome with sentimental or self-pitying tears.
Related words
Maudlin shares its root with the name Madeleine, both descending from the same Old French form Madelaine.