Where does “hysteria” come from?
Hysteria derives from Latin hystericus, from Ancient Greek ὑστερικός, ultimately from ὑστέρα meaning uterus, connected to ὕστερος and Proto-Indo-European údteros.
hysteria (English): Behavior exhibiting excessive or uncontrollable...
Definitions
- Behavior exhibiting excessive or uncontrollable...
Ancestry of “hysteria”, step by step
hysteria traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via New Latin hysteria
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Latin | hysteria | — |
| 2 | Latin | hystericus | hysterical |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ὑστερικός | suffering in the uterus, hysterical; relating to... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | -ικός | of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -κός | forms adjectives with the sense of 'of or... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |
via Latin hysteria
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | hysteria | — |