English
hydrophobia
Hydrophobia comes from Middle English idroforbia, and goes back to Ancient Greek ὑδροφοβία.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὑδροφοβίαhudrophobía
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhydrophobia
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500idroforbia
- Englishearliest quotation 1603hydrophobia
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὑδροφοβίαhudrophobía
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhydrophobia
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500idroforbia
- Englishearliest quotation 1603hydrophobia
Earliest quotation: 1603, Michel de Montaigne, An Apologie of Raymond Sebond: “[…] Cato, who ſcorned both death and fortune, could…”
The story
The word is analysable as hydro- + -phobia.
Every English word from Ancient Greek ὑδροφοβία
Today it means
noun An aversion to water, as a symptom of rabies; the disease of rabies itself.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ὑδροφοβία / hydrophobia