cholera
ˈkɒlərə
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
cholē — bile
Overview
Meaning Now
- An infectious and often fatal bacterial disease of the small intestine, typically contracted from infected water supplies and causing severe vomiting and diarrhea.
Literal older meaning
flow of bile
Language path
Ancient Greek → Latin → English
Earliest form
χολερία (kholeria)
Earliest period
5th century BC
Journey
In ancient Greek medicine, the 'humor' theory posited that health depended on a balance of four humors: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. Cholera was historically believed to be caused by an imbalance or 'overflow' of yellow bile.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
kholera
“a disease characterized by severe diarrhea and vomiting”
Associated by Galen and others with an excess of yellow bile.
- Latin
cholera
“the disease or the bile itself”
- Middle English
cholera
“a bilious disorder”
Used broadly for digestive ailments.
- Modern English
cholera
“specifically the acute infectious disease Vibrio cholerae”
Standardized in medical terminology in the 19th century.
Connections
Word parts
chol-
root
bile
-era
suffix
condition or flow
Related across languages
French
choléra
cholera
German
cholera
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Related to cholera
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.