English
thyroid
Thyroid comes from New Latin thyreoīdēs ‘Shaped like a shield’, from Ancient Greek θῠ́ρᾱ ‘door’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰwer-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰwer-‘door’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*tʰurāreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEθῠ́ρᾱthŭ́rā‘door’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEθῠρεός‘an oblong shield’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEθῠρεοειδήςthŭreoeidḗs‘shield-shaped’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900thyreoīdēs‘Shaped like a shield’
- Englishearliest quotation 2013thyroid
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰwer-‘door’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*tʰurāreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEθῠ́ρᾱthŭ́rā‘door’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEθῠρεός‘an oblong shield’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEθῠρεοειδήςthŭreoeidḗs‘shield-shaped’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900thyreoīdēs‘Shaped like a shield’
- Englishearliest quotation 2013thyroid
Earliest quotation: 2013, Douglas Main, Israel Outlaws Water Fluoridation: “Israel is one of the few countries that widely…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰwer- ‘door’
through Ancient Greek θῠρεοειδής ‘shield-shaped’
Today it means
adj Of, relating to, or being the thyroid cartilage.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰwer- / thyroid