English
malabsorption
Malabsorption comes from Latin absorptiō ‘drink, beverage’, from absorbeō ‘to swallow down, devour’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *srebʰ- ‘to sip, gulp, suck (in)’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*srebʰ-‘to sip, gulp, suck (in)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*srobʰéyeti‘to be sipping, sucking’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sorβeō‘to suck in’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsorbeō‘to suck in, drink up’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEabsorbeō‘to swallow down, devour’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEabsorptiō‘drink, beverage’
- English1500–presentabsorption
- Englishearliest quotation 2024malabsorption
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*srebʰ-‘to sip, gulp, suck (in)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*srobʰéyeti‘to be sipping, sucking’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sorβeō‘to suck in’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsorbeō‘to suck in, drink up’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEabsorbeō‘to swallow down, devour’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEabsorptiō‘drink, beverage’
- English1500–presentabsorption
- Englishearliest quotation 2024malabsorption
Earliest quotation: 2024, Maxine Lipner, What Does It Mean When Your Poop Floats?: “Poop that floats may sometimes point to other health…”
A compound of mal- + absorption
Proto-Indo-European *srebʰ- ‘to sip, gulp, suck (in)’
…
Proto-Italic *sorβeō ‘to suck in’
Latin sorbeō ‘to suck in, drink up’
Latin absorbeō ‘absorb’
Latin absorptiō ‘a sucking in’
English absorption
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *srebʰ- ‘to sip, gulp, suck (in)’
through Latin sorbeō ‘to suck in, drink up’
through Latin absorbeō ‘to swallow down, devour’
through English absorption
Today it means
noun The state arising from abnormality in digestion or absorption of food nutrients across the gastrointestinal tract.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *srebʰ- / malabsorption