Etymograph

English

gastrocnemius

Gastrocnemius comes from Ancient Greek γαστροκνημία ‘calf of the leg’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγαστροκνημίαgastroknēmía‘calf of the leg’
  2. New Latinc. 1500–1900gastrocnēmius
  3. Englishtodaygastrocnemius

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEγαστροκνημίαgastroknēmía‘calf of the leg’
  2. New Latinc. 1500–1900gastrocnēmius
  3. Englishtodaygastrocnemius

A compound of γαστήρ ‘paunch, belly’ + κνήμη ‘leg’

Ancient Greek γρᾰ́ω ‘to gnaw, eat’

Ancient Greek γαστήρ ‘paunch, belly’

Proto-Indo-European *kónh₂m ‘leg’

Ancient Greek κνήμη ‘leg’

The story

1670s, borrowed from New Latin gastrocnēmius, from Ancient Greek γαστροκνημία (gastroknēmía, “calf of the leg”), from γαστήρ (gastḗr, “paunch, belly”) + κνήμη (knḗmē, “leg”).

Every English word from Ancient Greek γαστροκνημία

Today it means

noun The muscle at the back of the calf, whose insertion is the Achilles tendon at the heel.

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

Etymograph / Ancient Greek γαστροκνημία / gastrocnemius

Shirt and support for this word