Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “lethargy” come from?

Lethargy comes from Latin lethargia, from Ancient Greek ληθαργία, derived from λήθαργος combining ἀργός with the negative prefix ἀ-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ne meaning "not."

lethargy (English): A condition characterized by extreme fatigue or...

Definitions

  1. A condition characterized by extreme fatigue or...

Ancestry of “lethargy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinlethargialethargy; drowsiness; ablative singular of...
2Ancient Greekληθαργίαdrowsiness, sleepiness; vocative singular of...
3Ancient Greek-ῐ́ᾱ{{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine...
4Proto-Indo-European-íh₂—
5Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ →