therapy English · revision 4660

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1846|origins=grc θεραπεία}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈθer.ə.pi/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la-new|therapia]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from [[grc|θεραπεία|tr=therapeía|t=service, attendance; curing, healing]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) from therapeúein “to attend, serve; to treat medically”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) related to therápōn “attendant”, a word of uncertain origin.^(Barnhart 1988) Middle English had terapeucia “therapeutics” in the early 15th century.^(Etymonline) It is related to [[therapeutic]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The medical treatment of disease: 1846 in the OED, Barnhart, Etymonline and MWU.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) The adjective [[therapeutic]] is older (1646).^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Greek word first meant service or attendance, then care of the sick.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) In English it was medical from the start, and came to include psychiatric treatment,^(OED 1989) so that ''therapy'' alone is now often short for psychotherapy.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023) Many compounds name a kind of treatment, such as ''physical therapy'', ''speech therapy'' and ''group therapy''.^(OED 1989)^(AHD) ''Therapist'' is from 1886.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1846 – medical treatment of disease.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1886 – ''therapist''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Treatment of an [[illness]], injury or disability, especially without drugs or surgery.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # [[psychotherapy|alt=Psychotherapy]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Something that has a healing effect.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[therapeutic]]

+ * [[therapist]]

+ * [[psychotherapy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}