English
dementia
Dementia comes from Latin dēmentia, from mēns ‘mind’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think, mind’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*méntis‘thought’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mentis‘mind, thought’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēns‘mind’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēmentia
- Englishearliest quotation 2013dementia
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to think, mind’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*méntis‘thought’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*mentis‘mind, thought’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmēns‘mind’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdēmentia
- Englishearliest quotation 2013dementia
Earliest quotation: 2013, -June, Alzheimer’s Disease: “Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to think, mind’
money, music, amount, mouth, museum, remain, mountain, monster, auto, min, monitor, comment, mount, permanent, monetary, mention, monk, maya, mint, demonstration, monastery, amnesty, muse, mosaic, summon, ming, mas, mandarin, mindful, monte, muster, monstrous, prominence, monument, mentor, imminent, manic, mantra, mania, mont, 124 more
through Proto-Indo-European *méntis ‘thought’
through Latin mēns ‘mind’
Today it means
noun A progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging. Areas particularly affected include memory, attention, judgement, language and problem solving.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / dementia