English
splenetic
Splenetic comes from Late Latin spleneticus ‘affected with spleen’, and goes back to Ancient Greek σπλήν ‘milt’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσπλήνsplḗn‘milt’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsplen‘spleen, milt’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEspleneticus‘affected with spleen’
- Englishearliest quotation 1662splenetic
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσπλήνsplḗn‘milt’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsplen‘spleen, milt’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEspleneticus‘affected with spleen’
- Englishearliest quotation 1662splenetic
Earliest quotation: 1662, [The First Part of Hudibras]: “A sect, whose chief devotion lies / In odd…”
The story
The adjective form of spleen, borrowed from Late Latin spleneticus, from Latin splen. Anger was traditionally believed to originate from the fluids of the spleen.
Linked words
through Latin splen ‘spleen, milt’
Today it means
adj Bad-tempered, irritable, peevish, spiteful, habitually angry.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek σπλήν / splenetic