Etymograph

English

epithelium

Epithelium comes from New Latin epithēlium, and goes back to Latin θηλή ‘nipple’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEθηλή‘nipple’
  2. New Latinc. 1500–1900epithēlium
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1969epithelium

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEθηλή‘nipple’
  2. New Latinc. 1500–1900epithēlium
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1969epithelium

Earliest quotation: 1969, Vladimir Nabokov, Ada or Ardor: “the passenger's roving eyes paused for a moment as…”

Equivalent to epi- + thel- + -ium

Proto-Indo-European *h₁épi ‘on’

Proto-Hellenic *epí

Ancient Greek ἐπί ‘on, upon’

English epi-

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁léh₂

Ancient Greek θηλή ‘nipple’

English thel-

Every English word from Latin θηλή

Today it means

noun A membranous tissue composed of one or more layers of cells which forms the covering of most internal and external surfaces of the body and its organs: internally including the lining of vessels and other small cavities, and externally being the skin.

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

Etymograph / Latin θηλή / epithelium

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