Etymograph

English

leprose

Leprose comes from New Latin leprōsus ‘leprous, having leprosy or the appearance of…’, from Koine Greek λέπρᾱ ‘psoriasis & similar skin diseases’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek λεπρός ‘scaly’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλεπρόςleprós‘scaly’
  2. Koine Greekc. 300 BCE–600 CEλέπρᾱléprā‘psoriasis & similar skin diseases’
  3. New Latinc. 1500–1900lepra‘psoriasis, leprosy’
  4. New Latin, derivedc. 1500–1900leprōsus‘leprous, having leprosy or the appearance of leprosy’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1818leprose

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλεπρόςleprós‘scaly’
  2. Koine Greekc. 300 BCE–600 CEλέπρᾱléprā‘psoriasis & similar skin diseases’
  3. New Latinc. 1500–1900lepra‘psoriasis, leprosy’
  4. New Latin, derivedc. 1500–1900leprōsus‘leprous, having leprosy or the appearance of leprosy’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1818leprose

Earliest quotation: 1818, Thomas Nuttall, Genera of North American Plants...: “A small section of the genus, including T. Usneoides…”

Linked words

through Ancient Greek λέπω ‘to peel’

lemma, leptin, 15 more

through Ancient Greek λεπίς ‘scale’

leper, 13 more

Today it means

adj Synonym of leprous, afflicted with leprosy.

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

Etymograph / Ancient Greek λεπρός / leprose

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