English
hormone
Hormone comes from Ancient Greek ὁρμή ‘rapid motion forwards, onrush, onset, assault,…’, and goes back to Proto-Hellenic *hοrmā́.
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hοrmā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὁρμήhormḗ‘rapid motion forwards, onrush, onset, assault, impulse to do a thing, effort’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὁρμῶνhormôn
- Englishearliest quotation 1962hormone
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hοrmā́reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὁρμήhormḗ‘rapid motion forwards, onrush, onset, assault, impulse to do a thing, effort’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὁρμῶνhormôn
- Englishearliest quotation 1962hormone
Earliest quotation: 1962, D. J. B. Ashley: “Tumours of the adrenal cortex which secreted feminizing hormones…”
Every English word from Proto-Hellenic *hοrmā́
Today it means
noun Any substance produced by one tissue and conveyed by the bloodstream to another to effect physiological activity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Hellenic *hοrmā́ / hormone