spleen

Where does the word "spleen" come from? It comes from Greek splen, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Spleen’s story begins in Greek: splen meant “the spleen organ.” The abdominal organ once believed to be the seat of bad temper. It reached English by 1300s as spleen. Settled as the medical word for the organ, later meaning ill temper. Today, spleen means an abdominal organ involved in filtering blood and immune function.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient splen "the spleen organ", the abdominal organ once believed to be the seat of bad temper.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s spleen "the abdominal organ, or ill temper", settled as the medical word for the organ, later meaning ill temper.