Where does “surgeon” come from?
Surgeon derives from Middle English surgien, from Anglo-Norman surgien, from Old French cerorgien, from Vulgar Latin chirurgianus, ultimately from Ancient Greek χειρουργία meaning hand-work, from χείρ (hand) and ἔργον (work).
surgeon (English): One who performs surgery; a doctor who performs...
Definitions
- One who performs surgery; a doctor who performs...
Ancestry of “surgeon”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | surgien | A surgeon; one who practices the art of surgery;... |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | surgien | a doctor or surgeon |
| 3 | Old French | surgien | a doctor or surgeon |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | chirurgianus | surgical; related to surgery |
| 5 | Latin | chīrurgia | a surgery |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | χειρουργία | working by hand, practice of a handicraft or art;... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | χειρουργέω | to work with my hands; to do violence with my... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | χειρουργός | craftsman; surgeon |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | -ουργός | worker, maker; work; worker, maker, craftsman |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | ἔργον | deed, doing, action; labour, work, task;... |
| 11 | Proto-Hellenic | wérgon | work |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | wérǵom | work |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | werǵ- | to make |