bronchus

Where does the word "bronchus" come from? It comes from Greek bronkhos, and was adopted directly into English (1700s).

Bronchus’s story begins in Greek: bronkhos meant “the windpipe.” The windpipe, later narrowed to its branching tubes into the lungs. It reached English by 1700s as bronchus. Settled as the medical word for the branching airway into each lung. Today, bronchus means one of the two main branches of the windpipe leading to the lungs.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient bronkhos "the windpipe", the windpipe, later narrowed to its branching tubes into the lungs.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1700s bronchus "one of the main branches of the windpipe", settled as the medical word for the branching airway into each lung.