English
acnestis
Acnestis comes from Koine Greek ἄκνηστις ‘spine’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *kneh₂- ‘to scratch, scrape’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kneh₂-‘to scratch, scrape’reconstructed
- Koine Greekc. 300 BCE–600 CEἄκνηστιςáknēstis‘spine’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEacnestis
- Englishearliest quotation 1794same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kneh₂-‘to scratch, scrape’reconstructed
- Koine Greekc. 300 BCE–600 CEἄκνηστιςáknēstis‘spine’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEacnestis
- Englishearliest quotation 1794same form
Earliest quotation: 1794, John Quincy, Lexicon Physico-medicum: Or: “Acneſtis, from α priv. and κναειν to ſcratch. That…”
The story
From Late Latin acnestis, from Koine Greek ἄκνηστις (áknēstis, “spine”), from κνῆστις (knêstis, “spine, cheese-grater”), or from ἀ- (a-) + -κναίειν (-knaíein, “grate, scrape, scratch”) (only attested in compounds), or from incorrect segmentation of κατὰ κνῆστιν (katà knêstin, “on the spine”) (see Homer, Odyssey 10.161), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kneh₂-.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kneh₂- ‘to scratch, scrape’
Today it means
noun The section of an animal's skin that it cannot reach in order to scratch itself, usually the space between the shoulder blades.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kneh₂- / acnestis