ἀνεύρυσμα

Forms

ἀνεύρυσμα (aneúrusma) n (genitive ἀνευρύσματος); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Ancient Greek ἀνευρύνω (aneurúnō), “to dilate”, with the suffix -μα.^[1][2][3] The verb is made of ἀνα- (ana-) “up” and εὐρύνω (eurúnō) “to widen”, from εὐρύς (eurús) “wide”.^[1][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest record is in Dioscorides, in the 1st century AD, meaning a dilatation.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

Physicians used it for the swelling of an artery.^[7][8] Galen defines it: ἀρτηρίας δ' ἀναστομωθείσης τὸ πάθος ἀνεύρυσμα καλεῖται “when an artery has opened up, the condition is called an aneurysm”.^[8][7] Rufus, Antyllus and later Paul of Aegina use it in the same way.^[7][8] The verb ἀνευρύνω itself is used of an artery's aneurysm by Antyllus.^[7]

Late Latin took the word over: it is found in the Pseudo-Apuleian Herbarius and in Vegetius' book on veterinary medicine.^[8] English aneurysm (early 15th century) comes from Medieval Latin aneurisma,^[5] and many other European languages have borrowed it.^[1] Modern Greek keeps ανεύρυσμα (anévrysma) as a learned medical term for the dilatation of a blood vessel.^[9][4]

Timeline

• 1st century AD – Dioscorides uses it for a dilatation.^[3][6][8]
• 2nd century AD – Galen defines it as the condition of an artery that has opened up.^[8][7]
• 4th–5th century AD – Vegetius uses it in Latin, in his veterinary manual.^[8]
• 7th century AD – Paul of Aegina uses it in his medical compendium.^[8]
• Early 15th century – English aneurysm is recorded, from Medieval Latin aneurisma.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. A dilatation, widening.^[3][10][11]
2. (medicine) An aneurysm, the dilatation of an artery.^[7][8][3]

Related words

• ἀνευρύνω (aneurúnō)
• εὐρύνω (eurúnō)
• εὐρύς (eurús)
• English aneurysm

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Βικιλεξικό, the Greek Wiktionary, https://el.wiktionary.org
3. ^ a b c d e Bailly, Anatole (2020), Dictionnaire grec-français, Bailly 2020 Hugo Chávez ed., ed. Gérard Gréco et al.
4. ^ a b Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας
5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b Keersmaekers, Alek (2021–2025), GLAUx: The Greek Language Automated corpus, https://github.com/alekkeersmaekers/glaux
7. ^ a b c d e f Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; Jones, Henry Stuart (1940), A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rodríguez Adrados, Francisco, et al., eds. (1980–), Diccionario Griego-Español, Madrid: CSIC, http://dge.cchs.csic.es/xdge
9. ^ Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών (Ίδρυμα Μανόλη Τριανταφυλλίδη) (1998), Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής, Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
10. ^ Pape, Wilhelm (1914), Griechisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 3rd ed., rev. Max Sengebusch, Braunschweig: Vieweg
11. ^ Korinthios, J. (2025), Grande Dizionario Greco Classico: Greco–Italiano, digital ed., Milan: Hoepli