Read The Greek & Latin Roots of English Online

Authors: Tamara M. Green

Tags: #Language Arts & Disciplines, #Linguistics, #General, #Vocabulary, #Etymology

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Hermon of Thasus. His blindness was cured by Asclepius. But, since afterward he did not bring the thank-offerings, the god made him blind again. When he came back and slept again in the Temple, the god made him well
.

—inscription from the temple of Asclepius at Epidaurus, Greece

There are doctors who attempt to straighten us out or get us back on our feet:

Greek or Latin Word	English Meaning
orthon (ὀρθόν)	straight
pes, pedis	foot
pous, podos (πούς)	foot
skeletos (σκελετός)	dried up; mummy
therapeia (θεραπεία)	service; care

There are doctors who specialize in the diseases of particular organs:

English Word	Latin Word	Greek Word	Combining Form
belly	abdomen, abdominis	enteron (ἕντερον)	entero-
stomachus, stomachi	gaster, gastros (γαστήρ)	gastro-
heart	cors, cordis	cardia (καρδία)	cardio-
kidney	renum, reni	nephros (νεφρός)	nephro-
liver	hepar, hepatos (ἥπαρ)	hepato-
lung	pulmo, pulmonis	pneumon (πνεύμών)	pneumo-

Take a Deep Breath

South Carolina's state motto is
dum spiro spero
. “As long as I am breathing, I have hope.”

spiro-spirare-spiratum	breathe
spero-sperare-speratum	hope

Other doctors specialize in particular age groups or in a particular gender:

Latin or Greek Word	English Meaning
femina, feminae	woman
gyne, gynecos (γυνή)	woman
aner, andros (ἀνήρ)	man
anthropos (ἄνθρωπος)	man, human being
homo, hominis	man, human being
vir, viri	man
senex, senis	old man
geron, gerontos (γέρων)	old man
juvenis, juvenis	young person
puer, pueri	child (boy)
pes, pedos (παι̑ς)	child

Hippocratic Oath

The oath that medical students take today has its origins in Greek medicine. Called the Hippocratic Oath, it is attributed to one of the most famous of ancient Greek healers, Hippocrates.

I swear by Apollo, the healer, by Asclepius, by Hygieia and Panacea and all the divinities of healing, and call to witness all the gods and goddesses that I may keep this oath and promise to the best of my ability and judgment … that I will use my power to help the sick to the best of my ability and judgment; that I will abstain from harming or wronging anyone by it…. If, therefore, I observe this oath and do not violate it, may I prosper both in my life and my art, gaining good repute among all men for all time. If I transgress and forswear this oath, may my lot be otherwise.

Deity	Function
Apollo	Greek god of light, prophecy, healing; but also the deity who brought disease
Asclepius	half-divine son of Apollo, and patron of Greek physicians. Not content with healing the sick, he attempted to bring the dead back to life. For this act, Zeus struck him down with a thunderbolt. In ancient Greece, he was honored as the patron deity of physicians.
Hygieia	The daughter of Asclepius, and worshipped as the personification of health
Panacea	“All-Healer,” said by some to be the daughter of Asclepius

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Greek or Latin Word	English Meaning
gnosis (γνω̑σις)	knowledg
cf. nosco-noscere-notum	know
bacterion (βακτήριον)	rod, stick
cf. bacillus, bacilli	small rod
frango-frangere-fractum	break
fungus, fungi	sponge
cf. sphongos (σφόγγος)	sponge
trauma, traumatos (τραυ̑μα)	wound
virus, viri	poison
-osis ²	diseased condition of, state of
-itis	inflammation of
-oma	swelling
-iasis	diseased condition of
-pathy ³	diseased condition; treatment
-plegia	paralysis
cf. plege (πληγή)	blow
-algia	pain
cf. algos (ἄλγος)	pain
-odynia	pain
cf. odyne (ὀδύνη)	pain
-rrhea	flow or discharge
cf. rheo (ῥέω)	flow
-gen	production of
cf. genos (γένος)	birth, source
-genic	producing
manus, manūs	hand
opsis (ὄψις)	sight
cf. opteuo (ὀπτεύω)	see, look at
-tomy	cutting, incision
< tomos (τομός)	cutting
-ectomy	cutting out, removal
-stomy	making an opening
< stoma (στόμα)	mouth, opening

Take Two Pills and Call Me in the Morning

When you go to the pharmacy to fill a prescription, be very careful. The root of the word is pharmakos (φαρμακός) = poisoner.

TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM

Sometimes, all it takes is a good night's sleep to make us feel better …

Greek or Latin Word	English Meaning
valeo-valēre	be strong, be in good health
> valesco	What does the suffix - sco indicate?
hypnos (ὕπνος)	sleep
coma (κω̑μα)	deep sleep
somnus, somni	sleep
sopor, soporis	deep sleep
Morpheus	the son of Somnus, he was the bringer of dreams, and given the name because of the various forms he could assume.
cf.morphe (μορφή)	shape, form

Mosaic “skull,” representing the finality of death. It was uncovered in the dining room of a house in Pompeii, Italy. (Museo Archeo-logico Nazionale, Naples)

but it doesn't cure everything, for we are mortal …

Greek or Latin Word	English Meaning
mors, mortis	death
< morior, mori, mortuum	die
thanatos (θάνατος)	death

Remember:
de mortuis, nil nisi bonum
: about the dead, (speak) nothing but good.

Perseus slaying the gorgon Medusa. Sixth century BCE (Selinunte, Sicily)

Dig in Your Heels …

Sometimes a word goes through so many changes of meaning that its original root is unnoticed.
Recalcitrant
, which now means unmanageable or stubborn, is derived from the Latin
calx, calcis
= heel of the foot. The verb
recalcitrare
originally meant to kick back one's heels, and was applied to horses.

Or Change Your Mind
!

Some words are nice to know just because they sound so interesting.
Tergiversate
means to change one's mind or opinion, but its literal meaning is derived from

tergum, tergi
(back)

verso-versare-versatum
(turn)

If you don't turn your back on an idea, you may turn your mind toward it in a critical way. Thus, we have the verb
animadvert
, which originally meant to take notice of, but which has now come to mean to criticize, or pay attention in a negative way.