English
eclampsia
Eclampsia comes from Ancient Greek ἔκλᾰμψῐς ‘sudden development, violent onset’, from ἐκλᾰ́μπω ‘to shine or beam forth’, and ultimately from λᾰ́μπω.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλᾰ́μπω‘to give light, shine’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐκλᾰ́μπω‘to shine or beam forth’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἔκλᾰμψῐςéklămpsĭs‘sudden development, violent onset’literally ‘brightness’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentéclampsie
- New Latinc. 1500–1900eclampsia
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλᾰ́μπω‘to give light, shine’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἐκλᾰ́μπω‘to shine or beam forth’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἔκλᾰμψῐςéklămpsĭs‘sudden development, violent onset’literally ‘brightness’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentéclampsie
- New Latinc. 1500–1900eclampsia
- Englishtodaysame form
The story
Borrowed from New Latin eclampsia, from French éclampsie, from Ancient Greek ἔκλᾰμψῐς (éklămpsĭs, “sudden development, violent onset”, literally “brightness”), from ἐκλᾰ́μπω (eklắmpō, “to shine or beam forth; to burst forth violently”) + -σῐς (-sĭs, nominal suffix).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leh₂p- ‘to shine’
through Ancient Greek λᾰ́μπω ‘to give light, shine’
Today it means
noun A complication of pregnancy characterized by seizures and coma due to hypertension.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek λᾰ́μπω / eclampsia