Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “surgery” come from?

Surgery derives from Middle English surgerie, from Old French surgerie, from Latin chirurgia, from Ancient Greek χειρουργία, a compound of χείρ (hand) and ἔργον (work), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European werǵ-.

surgery (English): A procedure involving major incisions to remove,...

Definitions

  1. A procedure involving major incisions to remove,...

Ancestry of “surgery”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsurgeriesurgery
2Old Frenchsurgerie—
3Latinchīrurgia—
4Ancient Greekχειρουργίαworking by hand, practice of a handicraft or art;...
5Ancient Greekχειρουργέωto work with my hands; to do violence with my...
6Ancient Greekχειρουργόςcraftsman; surgeon
7Ancient Greek-ουργόςworker, maker; work; worker, maker, craftsman
8Ancient Greekἔργονdeed, doing, action; labour, work, task;...
9Proto-Hellenicwérgonwork
10Proto-Indo-Europeanwérǵomwork
11Proto-Indo-Europeanwerǵ-to make

Words derived from “surgery”

  • radiosurgery
  • neurosurgery
  • cryosurgery
  • microsurgery
  • psychosurgery
  • postsurgery
  • telesurgery
  • electrosurgery
  • presurgery
  • nanosurgery
  • endosurgery
  • chemosurgery
  • immunosurgery
  • biosurgery
  • polysurgery
  • cardiosurgery
  • dermasurgery
  • piezosurgery
  • antisurgery
  • cybersurgery
  • surgiholic
  • proctosurgery
  • sejeri
Every word from Proto-Indo-European werǵ- →