crisis

Where does the word "crisis" come from? It comes from Greek krisis, passing through Latin before entering English (medieval).

Crisis’s story begins in Greek: krisis meant “a decisive turning point.” Literally "a decision" or "turning point", especially in illness. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as crisis. Hippocratic doctors used it for the turning point of a fever. It reached English by medieval as crisis. Broadened to mean any critical turning point. Today, crisis means a time of intense difficulty, danger, or a decisive turning point.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient krisis "a decisive turning point", literally "a decision" or "turning point", especially in illness.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient crisis "a critical turning point in a disease", Hippocratic doctors used it for the turning point of a fever.
3. Stage 3 · English · medieval crisis "a time of intense difficulty or danger", broadened to mean any critical turning point.