Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “coeliac” come from?

Coeliac comes from Latin coeliacus, from Ancient Greek κοιλιακός, derived from κοιλία meaning belly, which comes from κοῖλος meaning hollow, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kowilos.

coeliac (English): Relating to the abdomen, or to the cavity of the...

Definitions

  1. Relating to the abdomen, or to the cavity of the...

Ancestry of “coeliac”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latincoeliacus—
2Ancient Greekκοιλιακός—
3Ancient Greekκοιλίαthe large hollow or cavity of the body, belly,...
4Ancient Greekκοῖλοςhollow, mostly as an epithet of ships; lying in a...
5Proto-Indo-Europeankowiloshollow
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱewH-to be strong, to swell; to swell, spread out, be...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱewH- →