Etymograph

English

anemia

Anemia comes from Ancient Greek ἀναιμία ‘lack of blood’, and goes back to αἷμα.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαἷμαhaîma‘blood’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀναιμίαanaimía‘lack of blood’
  3. Englishtodayanemia

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαἷμαhaîma‘blood’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀναιμίαanaimía‘lack of blood’
  3. Englishtodayanemia

Equivalent to an- + -emia

Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- ‘on, onto’

Proto-Germanic *ana- ‘on’

Proto-West Germanic *ana- ‘Forming verbs and adjectives from participles…’

English an-

Linked words

through Ancient Greek αἷμα ‘blood’

hemoglobin, hematite, 5 more

Today it means

noun A medical condition in which the capacity of the blood to transport oxygen to the tissues is reduced, either because of too few red blood cells, or because of too little hemoglobin, resulting in pallor and fatigue.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek αἷμα / anemia

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