Where does “aromatherapy” come from?
Aromatherapy comes from English therapy and Ancient Greek ἄρωμα, meaning aroma or spice, combined with therapy from Latin therapia and Ancient Greek roots meaning to lift or raise.
aromatherapy (English): The use of selected fragrances in lotions and...
Definitions
- The use of selected fragrances in lotions and...
Ancestry of “aromatherapy”, step by step
aromatherapy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English aroma
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | aroma | A smell; especially a pleasant spicy or fragrant... |
| 2 | Late Latin | aroma | spices; spice, herb |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἄρωμα | herb, spice; Anything fragrant: oil, perfume;... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ωμᾰ | disease, tumor |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -όω | Added to a noun or adjective to make a verb with... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -oyéti | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 9 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |
via English therapy
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | therapy | Attempted remediation of a health problem... |
| 2 | New Latin | therapīa | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | θεραπεία | a waiting on service; medical treatment |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | θεραπεύω | to wait on, attend, serve; to obey; to flatter,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -εύω | Added to the stems of agent or other nouns in... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -εύς | Added to noun or adjective stems to form a... |