English
acupuncture
Acupuncture comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-‘sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akusreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEacus
- Englishearliest quotation 1974acupuncture
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-‘sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*akusreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEacus
- Englishearliest quotation 1974acupuncture
Earliest quotation: 1974, Acupuncture: “Chinese doctors at Chishan County Hospital in Shansi Province…”
Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ- ‘prick, punch’
Proto-Italic *pungō ‘to prick, sting’
Latin pungō ‘to prick’
Latin pūnctus ‘pricked, punctured, pierced’
Late Latin punctūra
English puncture
first attested First attested in 1684 (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in 1684.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘sharp’
hear, edge, egg, ear, acid, hammer, eager, axe, oxide, vinegar, acne, mediocre, mediocrity, paragon, acetate, acacia, hark, exacerbate, acme, acumen, acuity, acyl, rosacea, acrimony, acrid, roselle, acerbic, exacerbation, 72 more
through Latin acus
Today it means
noun The insertion of needles into the (living) tissue of the body affecting the Qi or energy along energetic pathways of the body called meridians. This modality is traditionally used as a form of internal medical treating all disease and illnesses, in Western countries it is widely used for the purposes of pain relief.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- / acupuncture