English
coma
Coma comes from Ancient Greek κῶμα ‘deep sleep’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκῶμα‘deep sleep’
- Englishearliest quotation 1961coma
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκῶμα‘deep sleep’
- Englishearliest quotation 1961coma
Earliest quotation: 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs: “An a aphrodisiac, it results in santonin poisoning, followed…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- ‘to lie down, settle’
city, home, civil, hide, cemetery, civic, haunt, citadel, civitas, ceilidh, hame, 33 more
Another origin of coma
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱemh₂-‘to be tired’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκομέωkoméō‘to take care of, tend’uncertain
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEθρίξthríx‘hair’uncertain
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκόμηkómē‘hair of the head’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcoma‘hair of the head’
- Englishtodaysame form
Today it means
noun A state of unconsciousness from which one may not wake up, usually induced by some form of trauma.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek κῶμα / coma