Etymograph

English

symptom

Symptom comes from Ancient Greek σύμπτωμα ‘a happening, accident, symptom of disease’, from συμπίπτω ‘Ι befall’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to fall’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-‘to fall’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pípth₂-reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*píptōreconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπίπτωpíptō‘to fall’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσυμπίπτωsumpíptō‘Ι befall’
  6. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσύμπτωμαsúmptōma‘a happening, accident, symptom of disease’stem of συμπίπτω
  7. Late Latinmodernsymptoma
  8. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500sinthoma
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1837symptom

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-‘to fall’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pípth₂-reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*píptōreconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπίπτωpíptō‘to fall’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσυμπίπτωsumpíptō‘Ι befall’
  6. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEσύμπτωμαsúmptōma‘a happening, accident, symptom of disease’stem of συμπίπτω
  7. Late Latinmodernsymptoma
  8. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500sinthoma
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1837symptom

Earliest quotation: 1837, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Ethel Churchill: Or: “Nay, nay," exclaimed Lord Norbourne, "I cannot go quite…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to fall’

pass, mile, expansion, repeat, pen, expand, petition, patent, compete, helicopter, feather, perpetual, spawn, competitor, expanse, perpetuate, impetus, perpetuity, pennant, petulant, patina, pinion, patella, pata, impetuous, penna, petulance, 83 more

Today it means

noun A perceived change in some function, sensation or appearance of a person that indicates a disease or disorder, such as fever, headache or rash; strictly, a symptom is felt or experienced by the patient, while a sign can be detected by an observer.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- / symptom

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