English
sclerosis
Sclerosis comes from Ancient Greek σκλήρωσις ‘hardening’, from σκληρός ‘hard’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- ‘to parch, wither’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kelh₁-‘to parch, wither’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκληρός‘hard’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκληρόω‘to harden’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκλήρωσιςsklḗrōsis‘hardening’
- Englishearliest quotation 2019sclerosis
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kelh₁-‘to parch, wither’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκληρός‘hard’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκληρόω‘to harden’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσκλήρωσιςsklḗrōsis‘hardening’
- Englishearliest quotation 2019sclerosis
Earliest quotation: 2019, Charles Hugh Smith: “Suppressing dissent dooms the society to sclerosis, decline and…”
Equivalent to sclero- + -osis
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- ‘to parch, wither’
Today it means
noun The abnormal hardening of body tissues, such as an artery; the appearance of hardenings, indurations, lesions, nodules.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- / sclerosis