Where does “medicine” come from?
medicine (Middle French) comes from Old French medecine, from Latin medicīna, from Latin medicus, from Latin medeor, from Proto-Italic medēōr, from Proto-Indo-European med- — to measure; to give advice; healing.
medicine (Middle French): medicine (act of practising medical treatment)
Definitions
- medicine (act of practising medical treatment)
Ancestry of “medicine”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | medecine | medicine; remedy; medical treatment of some form |
| 2 | Latin | medicīna | medicine, remedy, cure |
| 3 | Latin | medicus | healing, curative, medical; magic; a doctor,... |
| 4 | Latin | medeor | I heal, cure, remedy, am good for or against a... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | medēōr | heal |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | med- | to measure; to give advice; healing |