Etymograph

English

anesthesia

Anesthesia comes from Ancient Greek ἀναισθησία ‘without sensation’, from αἰσθάνομαι ‘to perceive’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ew-‘to see, perceive’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ewis-dʰh₁-reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*awistʰomaireconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαἰσθάνομαι‘to perceive’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEαἴσθησιςaísthēsis‘sensation’
  6. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀναισθησίαanaisthēsía‘without sensation’
  7. New Latinc. 1500–1900anaesthēsia
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1902anesthesia

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ew-‘to see, perceive’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ewis-dʰh₁-reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*awistʰomaireconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEαἰσθάνομαι‘to perceive’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEαἴσθησιςaísthēsis‘sensation’
  6. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἀναισθησίαanaisthēsía‘without sensation’
  7. New Latinc. 1500–1900anaesthēsia
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1902anesthesia

Earliest quotation: 1902, William James, Lectures 4 & 5: “In some individuals optimism may become quasi-pathological. The capacity…”

Equivalent to an- + -esthesia

Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- ‘on, onto’

Proto-Germanic *ana- ‘on’

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

English an-

The story

Sense of “insensibility” attested since 1679, from New Latin anaesthēsia, from Ancient Greek ἀναισθησία (anaisthēsía, “without sensation”), from ἀν- (an-, “not”) and αἴσθησις (aísthēsis, “sensation”). Sense of “state induced by an agent” attested since 1846.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- ‘to see, perceive’

love, audience, egg, ear, audit, aviation, oval, obey, acoustic, avid, audible, ey, ovation, auspicious, aviator, aural, avian, avarice, ocarina, aviary, otolaryngology, 66 more

through Ancient Greek αἰσθάνομαι ‘to perceive’

aesthetic, 4 more

Today it means

noun An artificial method of preventing sensation, used to eliminate pain without causing loss of vital functions, by the administration of one or more agents which block pain impulses before transmitted to the brain.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- / anesthesia

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