hepatitis

Forms

hēpatītis f (genitive hēpatītidis); third declension^[1][2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἡπατῖτις (hēpatîtis, “liver-like”),^[1][3] from ἧπαρ (hêpar, “liver”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pliny the Elder (23/24–79 AD) names a precious stone hepatitis, otherwise unknown.^[1][2][3]

Semantic evolution

Marcellus Empiricus (c. 400 AD) uses it as an adjective, of liver-coloured aloe.^[1][4][3]

Timeline

• 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder names a gem hepatitis.^[1][3]
• c. 400 AD – Marcellus Empiricus calls an aloe hepatitis.^[1][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. An unidentified precious stone.^[1][2][4]

Adjective

1. Like the liver, liver-coloured.^[1][4]

Related words

• hepaticus

Usage notes

The English medical term hepatitis (1727) is a new formation from Greek hēpatos “of the liver” and -itis, not this Latin word.^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
2. ^ a b c Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com