English
hepatoscopy
Hepatoscopy comes from Ancient Greek ἡπατοσκοπία, and goes back to ἥπατος.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἥπατος
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἡπατοσκοπίαhēpatoskopía
- Englishtodayhepatoscopy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἥπατος
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEἡπατοσκοπίαhēpatoskopía
- Englishtodayhepatoscopy
A compound of ἧπαρ ‘liver’ + σκοπέω ‘to see’
Proto-Indo-European *Hyékʷr̥
Proto-Hellenic *yêkʷər ‘liver’
Ancient Greek ἧπαρ ‘liver’
Proto-Indo-European *sḱop-
Ancient Greek σκοπός ‘watcher’
Ancient Greek σκοπέω ‘to see’
Every English word from Ancient Greek ἥπατος
Today it means
noun Divination by the liver of an animal or bird. The liver was divided into sections, each section representing a deity, and the markings in these zones were important.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἥπατος / hepatoscopy