Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hypochondria” come from?

Hypochondria derives from Ancient Greek ὑποχόνδρια, from ὑποχόνδριον meaning the region below the cartilage, from χόνδρος cartilage, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots gʰrendʰ- and h₃ewp-.

hypochondria (English): A psychological disorder characterized by...

Definitions

  1. A psychological disorder characterized by...

Ancestry of “hypochondria”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1New Latinhypochondria—
2Latinhypochondrium—
3Ancient Greekὑποχόνδριονthe space between the ribs and the navel; the...
4Ancient Greekῠ̔πο-under, lower; by, under; under”, “beneath
5Ancient Greekὑπό
6Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →