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Where does the word "trachea" come from? It comes from Greek tracheia arteria, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).
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Where does the word "trachea" come from? It comes from Greek tracheia arteria, and was adopted directly into English (1400s).
Trachea’s story begins in Greek: tracheia arteria meant “the rough windpipe.” Literally rough artery, describing the windpipe's ridged cartilage rings. It reached English by 1400s as trachea. Settled as the medical word for the windpipe. Today, trachea means the tube carrying air from the throat to the lungs, the windpipe.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient tracheia arteria "the rough windpipe", literally rough artery, describing the windpipe's ridged cartilage rings.
- Stage 2 · English · 1400s trachea "the windpipe", settled as the medical word for the windpipe.