Where does “obstetrician-gynecologist” come from?

obstetrician-gynecologist (English) comes from English obstetrician, from English obstetrics, from English obstetric, from French obstétrique, from Latin obstetricus, from Latin obstetrix, from Latin obstō, from Latin ob- — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

obstetrician-gynecologist (English): A physician specializing in the medical and surgical care of the female reproductive system, pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period; commonly abbreviated as OB-GYN

Definitions

  1. A physician specializing in the medical and surgical care of the female reproductive system, pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period; commonly abbreviated as OB-GYN

Ancestry of “obstetrician-gynecologist”, step by step

obstetrician-gynecologist traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English obstetrician

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishobstetricianA physician who specializes in childbirth
2EnglishobstetricsThe care of women during and after pregnancy
3EnglishobstetricOf or relating to obstetrics
4Frenchobstétriqueobstetric, obstetrical
5Latinobstetricus
6Latinobstetrixmidwife
7Latinobstōto stand before, stand in the way of, obstruct, block, oppose
8Latinob-towards; against
9Latinobolusobolus (Greek coin)
10Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
11Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
12Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
13Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos
14Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing

via English gynecologist

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgynecologistA physician specializing in diseases of the...
2Ancient Greek-λογίαBase for nouns denoting the study of something,...
3Ancient GreekλόγοςThat which is said: word, sentence, speech,...
4Ancient GreekλέγωI put in order, arrange, gather; I choose, count,...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH-