pneumatic
/nuːˈmætɪk/
adjective
Origin
Ancient Greek
pneuma — wind, breath, spirit
Overview
Meaning Now
- Relating to, containing, or operated by air or gas under pressure.
- Relating to the spirit or soul, especially in theological contexts.
Literal older meaning
of or pertaining to wind or air
Language path
Ancient Greek → Late Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
pneumatick
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term reflects the dual nature of Greek thought, where 'pneuma' encompassed both the physical element of air and the metaphysical concept of the 'spirit' or 'soul'. In scientific contexts, it was adopted in the 17th century to describe phenomena related to air pressure and vacuums, following the experiments of scientists like Robert Boyle.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
pneuma
“breath, wind, spirit”
- Ancient Greek
pneumatikos
“of or for wind/breath”
- Late Latin
pneumaticus
“pertaining to air or spirit”
- Middle French
pneumatique
“pertaining to air/gas”
- English
pneumatic
“operated by air pressure”
Connections
Word parts
pneum-
root
breath or air
-atic
suffix
pertaining to
Related across languages
French
pneumatique
pneumatic
German
pneumatisch
pneumatic
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Related to pneumatic
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.