Where does “amnesia” come from?
Amnesia comes from Latin amnesia, from Ancient Greek ἀμνησία, composed of the prefix ἀ- and a root from Proto-Indo-European n̥-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ne meaning "not" combined with sem- meaning "to have."
amnesia (English): Loss of memory; forgetfulness; Forgetfulness
Definitions
- Loss of memory; forgetfulness; Forgetfulness
Ancestry of “amnesia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | amnesia | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ἀμνησία | forgetfulness |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἀ- | The alpha privativum, used to make words that... |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | hə- | same; together |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sm̥- | one; with, together |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |
Words derived from “amnesia”