sick

Overview

Meaning Now

• affected by physical or mental illness.
• affected by nausea; wanting to vomit.
• slang: excellent, impressive, or extraordinary.

Journey

The word stems from a common Germanic root. In British English, 'sick' historically retained the meaning of nausea, while 'ill' was used for general sickness; in American English, 'sick' covers both, often referring specifically to gastrointestinal distress.

Evolution

1. Proto-Germanic

   *seukaz

   “ailing”

2. Old English

   seoc

   “ill, weak, infirm”

   Used broadly for any kind of ailment.

3. Middle English

   sek

   “ill, unhealthy”

   Influenced by Middle Low German and Norse variants.

4. Modern English

   sick

   “unwell, nauseous, slang for cool”

   Semantic narrowing to nausea in American English.

Connections

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