English
amnesia
Amnesia comes from Ancient Greek ἀμνησία ‘forgetfulness’, from μιμνήσκω ‘to remind, to remember’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to remember, think’root as named
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mneh₂-‘to remind’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμιμνήσκωmimnḗskō‘to remind, to remember’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀμνησίαamnēsía‘forgetfulness’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamnesia
- Englishearliest quotation 2009same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to remember, think’root as named
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mneh₂-‘to remind’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμιμνήσκωmimnḗskō‘to remind, to remember’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀμνησίαamnēsía‘forgetfulness’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamnesia
- Englishearliest quotation 2009same form
Earliest quotation: 2009, Stacey D’Erasmo, Glory Days: “I lay around my Barnard dorm room listening to…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to remember, think’
mind, money, music, amount, comment, mental, mouth, remain, mention, mountain, museum, monster, auto, mount, min, permanent, monitor, demonstration, mentor, monk, mint, monetary, monument, maya, monte, monastery, muse, mosaic, dementia, summon, menace, ming, mas, mandarin, mantra, imminent, mont, muster, monstrous, prominence, 126 more
through Proto-Indo-European *mneh₂- ‘to remind’
Today it means
noun Loss of memory; forgetfulness.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / amnesia