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psychiatria

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word psychiatria

Formation
Compound
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek ψυχή,ἰατρός

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [psyː.kʰiːˈaː.tri.a][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [psi.kiˈaː.tri.a][1]

Forms

psȳchīātria f[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Ancient Greek ψυχή (psūkhḗ, “soul”) and ἰατρός (iātrós, “doctor, physician”), with the Latin suffix -ia.[1] Etymonline renders the compound as “a healing of the soul”.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wiktionary labels the word Medieval Latin, with the sense “psychiatry”,[1] and Stelten lists it in his Ecclesiastical Latin dictionary.[3]

Semantic evolution

It names the medical treatment of mental illness.[1][3] French took it over as psychiatrie, and English took the French word in 1846 as psychiatry.[2]

Timeline

  • 1846 – English psychiatry is recorded, from French, from this word.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Psychiatry.[1][3]
  • English psychiatry

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Psychiatria.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/psychiatria. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·