storge

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek στοργή (storgḗ, “affection, love (especially of parents and children)”),^[1][2] from στέργω (stérgō, “to love (chiefly of non-sexual affection); to show affection”) (from Proto-Indo-European *sterg- (“to cover; to protect”)) + -η (-ē, suffix forming action nouns).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈstɔːɡi/, /-ˌɡeɪ/, /-d͡ʒi/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈstɔɹɡi/, /-ˌɡeɪ/, /-d͡ʒi/
• Hyphenation: stor‧ge

storge (uncountable)

1. Natural affection or love, especially of parents for their children.
   • 1600 (first performance), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Cynthias Reuels, or The Fountayne of Selfe-Loue. ”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: Will Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC, Act V, scene vii (the first masque), pages 257–258:

     [The virgins] haue choſen to expreſſe their ſeuerall qualities, thus in ſeuerall colours. The firſt, in citron colour, is natural affection, vvhich giuen vs to procure our good, is ſomtime called Storge, and as euery one is neereſt to himſelfe, ſo this hand-maid of reaſon, allovvable ſelfe-loue, as it is vvithout harme, ſo are none vvithout it: […]

   • 1688 September (date written), Henry More, “The Use and Interpretation of Love and Hatred; which are in the Second Classis”, in R. W. , transl., An Account of Virtue: Or, Dr. Henry More’s Abridgment of Morals, Put into English, London: Benj Tooke, published 1690, →OCLC, book I, paragraph IV, pages 63–64:

     VVherefore as this Love has reference to Propagation; ſo Storge, or Natural Tenderneſs, referreth chiefly to Children that are begot. And if more of the Storge appear in Parents, than vvhat is reciprocal; it ſhevvs, this Paſſion is implanted by Nature, as others, to a greater Degree, or a leſs, ſuitable to the Uſe or VVant there may be thereof.

   • 1789, [Erasmus Darwin], The Botanic Garden; a Poem, in Two Parts. , London: J Johnson, , published 1791, →OCLC, part II (The Loves of the Plants; 3rd edition), footnote, page 6:

     As ſoon as the ſeeds are formed, it [the American cowslip (Primula sect. Dodecatheon)] erects all the flovver-ſtalks to prevent them from falling out; and thus loſes the beauty of its figure. Is this a mechanical effect, or does it indicate a vegetable ſtorgé to preſerve its offspring?

   • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, “A Pedigree and Other Family Matters”, in The History of Pendennis. , volume I, London: Bradbury and Evans, , published 1849, →OCLC, page 20:

     I saw a Jewish lady, only yesterday, with a child at her knee, and from whose face towards the child there shone a sweetness so angelical, that it seemed to form a sort of glory round both. I protest I could have knelt before her too, and adored in her the Divine beneficence in endowing us with the maternal storgē, which began with our race and sanctifies the history of mankind.