pneumonia
/nuːˈmoʊniə/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
pneumōn — lung
Overview
Meaning Now
- An inflammatory condition of the lung, typically characterized by inflammation of the parenchyma and the filling of the alveoli with fluid.
Literal older meaning
disease of the lungs
Language path
Ancient Greek → New Latin → English
Earliest form
pneumonia
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term relies on the Greek 'pneuma' (breath/wind). In antiquity, ancient physicians identified the lungs as the source of respiration, and the name for the organ was directly linked to the act of breathing. The clinical condition was later named by adding the standard medical suffix for disease.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
pneumōn
“lung (literally 'breather')”
Derived from pneuma 'breath'
- Ancient Greek
pneumoniā
“disease of the lungs”
Addition of suffix -ia
- New Latin
pneumonia
“lung inflammation”
Medical nomenclature adoption
Connections
Word parts
pneumon
root
lung
-ia
suffix
condition or disease
Related across languages
Ancient Greek
pneumōn
lung
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.