Where does “spasmodic” come from?
Spasmodic derives from Latin spasmodicus, from Ancient Greek σπασμώδης, from Ancient Greek σπασμός, from Ancient Greek σπάω meaning to pull or tear.
spasmodic (English): Of or relating to a spasm; resembling a sudden...
Definitions
- Of or relating to a spasm; resembling a sudden...
Ancestry of “spasmodic”, step by step
spasmodic traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French spasmodique
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | spasmodique | spasmodic |
| 2 | Latin | spasmodicus | — |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | σπασμώδης | spasmodic |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σπασμός | spasm, convulsion |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | σπάω | to break; to draw, pull; to draw out, pull out |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)peh₂- | to stretch, to pull; to draw; chip, shaving, log,... |
via New Latin spasmodicus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Latin | spasmodicus | — |