Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “panacea” come from?

Panacea comes from Latin panacea, from Ancient Greek πανάκεια, derived from the adjective πανακής meaning all-healing, formed from πᾶν and πᾶς meaning all.

panacea (English): A remedy believed to cure all disease and prolong...

Definitions

  1. A remedy believed to cure all disease and prolong...

Ancestry of “panacea”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinpanaceaA particular kind of plant, believed to cure all...
2Ancient Greekπανάκειαpanacea, universal remedy; Hercules' woundwort;...
3Ancient Greekπανακήςall-healing
4Ancient Greekπᾶνneuter nominative singular of πᾶς; neuter...
5Ancient Greekὀπτικόςof or relating to seeing, sight or vision: optic,...
6Ancient Greekὄψιςview
7Ancient Greekὄψvoice; word; eye, face
8Proto-Hellenicwókʷs—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanwekʷ-to speak, to sound out

Words derived from “panacea”

  • panacean
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wekʷ- →