Where does “bronchospasm” come from?
Bronchospasm combines broncho- (from Ancient Greek βρόγχος, "windpipe") and spasm, which derives from Middle English spasme, Old French spasme, Latin spasmus, and Ancient Greek σπασμός (from σπάω, "to pull or tear").
bronchospasm (English): difficulty in breathing due to a contraction of...
Definitions
- difficulty in breathing due to a contraction of...
Ancestry of “bronchospasm”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spasm | A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a... |
| 2 | Middle English | spasme | — |
| 3 | Old French | spasme | Alternative form of espasme |
| 4 | Latin | spasmus | spasm |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | σπασμός | spasm, convulsion |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | σπάω | to break; to draw, pull; to draw out, pull out |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)peh₂- | to stretch, to pull; to draw; chip, shaving, log,... |