ganglion

Where does the word "ganglion" come from? It comes from Greek ganglion, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Ganglion’s story begins in Greek: ganglion meant “a swelling, a knot.” Originally a tumor or swelling beneath the skin. It reached English by 1600s as ganglion. Settled as the medical word for a cluster of nerve cell bodies. Today, ganglion means a cluster of nerve cell bodies outside the central nervous system.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient ganglion "a swelling, a knot", originally a tumor or swelling beneath the skin.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s ganglion "a cluster of nerve cell bodies", settled as the medical word for a cluster of nerve cell bodies.