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σάρκωμα

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Etymology and origin of the Ancient Greek word σάρκωμα

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1–100 Dioscorides More words from the 1st century
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek σαρκόω,-μα
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Ancient Greek σάρκωμα (sárkōma)
Latin sarcoma
English sarcoma

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek σαρκόω (sarkóō) + -μα (-ma), “to make fleshy”, a verb made from σάρξ (sárx) “flesh”.[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found in Dioscorides (1st century AD), for a fleshy excrescence, especially one in the nose.[3][4][5]

Semantic evolution

Galen uses the word in the same medical sense.[3][4] Late Latin took it over as Latin sarcoma.[6][1] English sarcoma is recorded in the 1650s for a fleshy growth, and since 1804 for a malignant tumour of the connective tissue.[2]

Modern Greek σάρκωμα (sárkoma) is a learned word with this new sense.[6][1] Triantafyllidis takes it from French sarcome,[6] and Babiniotis from English sarcoma.[1]

Timeline

  • 1st century AD – Dioscorides uses it for a fleshy excrescence, especially in the nose.[3][5]
  • 2nd century AD – Galen uses it in the same sense.[3][5]
  • 1650s – English sarcoma is recorded for a fleshy growth.[2]
  • 1804 – The English word is first used for a malignant tumour of the connective tissue.[2]
  • Modern Greek – σάρκωμα (sárkoma) is a learned word for a malignant tumour.[6][1]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A fleshy excrescence, especially in the nose.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
  5. ^ a b c Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
  6. ^ a b c d Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Cite this entry

“Σάρκωμα.” Etymologically, 8 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/grc/%CF%83%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%BA%CF%89%CE%BC%CE%B1. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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