Where does “spleen” come from?
spleen (French) comes from English spleen, from Middle English splene, from Old French esplein, from Latin splēn, from Ancient Greek σπλήν, from Ancient Greek σπληχ-.
spleen (French): bad mood, melancholy
Ancestry of “spleen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | spleen | In vertebrates, including humans, a ductless... |
| 2 | Middle English | splene | — |
| 3 | Old French | esplein | — |
| 4 | Latin | splēn | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | σπλήν | milt, spleen |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | σπληχ- | — |