English
ileus
Ileus comes from Latin īleus ‘ileus, intestinal obstruction’, from Ancient Greek εἴλω ‘to shut in’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welH- ‘to turn, wind’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-‘to turn, wind’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἴλωeílō‘to shut in’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεἰλεόςeileós‘intestinal obstruction’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEīleus‘ileus, intestinal obstruction’
- Englishearliest quotation 1849ileus
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*welH-‘to turn, wind’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEεἴλωeílō‘to shut in’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEεἰλεόςeileós‘intestinal obstruction’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEīleus‘ileus, intestinal obstruction’
- Englishearliest quotation 1849ileus
Earliest quotation: 1849, Hippocrates: “When ileus comes on in a case of strangury,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *welH- ‘to turn, wind’
well, walk, wall, volume, revolution, evolution, involve, valve, vault, evolve, revolt, vulgar, waltz, helix, convoluted, divulge, vagrant, vulva, voluminous, gauche, convolution, vulgate, wale, involution, valvular, valise, voluble, 75 more
through Ancient Greek εἰλεός ‘intestinal obstruction’
Today it means
noun Disruption of the normal propulsive ability of the gastrointestinal tract, due to failure of peristalsis.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *welH- / ileus