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Where does the word "symptom" come from? It comes from Greek symptōma, and was adopted directly into English (1540s).
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Where does the word "symptom" come from? It comes from Greek symptōma, and was adopted directly into English (1540s).
Symptom’s story begins in Greek: symptōma meant “occurrence, chance.” Greek, from 'sympiptein', to fall together. It reached English by 1540s as symptom. Came via Late Latin 'symptoma'. Today, symptom means a physical sign of illness.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient symptōma "occurrence, chance", Greek, from 'sympiptein', to fall together.
- Stage 2 · English · 1540s symptom "sign of disease", came via Late Latin 'symptoma'.