cataract

cataract · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*wreh₂ǵʰ-“to pound, strike”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromκαταρ(ρ)άκτης“(noun) waterfall; (adjective) rushing downwards”
3. Latin · derived fromcataracta“floodgate; waterfall”
4. Old French · derived fromcataracte
5. Middle English · inherited fromcataract
6. English todaycataract

PIE word *ḱóm The noun is derived from cataracts (noun (plural only)), from Late Middle English cataract, cataracta, cateract, cateracte (“floodgate of heaven”), from Old French cataracte (modern French cataracte), and from its etymon Latin cataracta (“floodgate; waterfall”), from Ancient Greek καταρ(ρ)άκτης (katar(rh)áktēs, “(noun) waterfall; (adjective) rushing downwards”), from καταρ(ρ)ᾱ́σσω (katar(rh)ā́ssō, “to pour down; to rush downwards”) + -της (-tēs, suffix forming nouns denoting a state of being). Καταρ(ρ)ᾱ́σσω (Katar(rh)ā́ssō) is derived either: * from κᾰτᾰ- (kătă-, prefix meaning ‘downwards’) + ἀρᾰ́σσω (arắssō, “to dash to pieces; to strike”) (further etymology unknown, possibly onomatopoeic) or ῥᾱ́σσω (rhā́ssō, “to dash; to strike”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wreh₂ǵʰ- (“to pound, strike”)); or * from καταρρηγνύναι (katarrhēgnúnai, “to break down”). The verb is derived from the noun.

cataract · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)kleh₂w-“crook, hook; peg; to close something”
2. grc-dor · derived fromκλᾳ̃θρα
3. Ancient Greek · derived fromκαταρ(ρ)άκτης“act of rushing down; portcullis”
4. Latin · derived fromcataracta“portcullis”
5. Old French · derived fromcataracte“clouding of the lens in the eye”
6. Middle English · inherited fromcataract
7. English todaycataract

From Late Middle English cataract, cataracta, cateract, cateracte (“(medicine) clouding of the lens in the eye”), from Old French cataracte (“clouding of the lens in the eye”), and then either: * from its etymon Latin cataracta (“portcullis”) (in the sense of something blocking vision as a portcullis blocks a gateway), from Ancient Greek καταρ(ρ)άκτης (katar(rh)áktēs, “act of rushing down; portcullis”) (see further at etymology 1); or * from clāthrāta (in fenestra clāthrāta (“window grating”)), an inflected form of clāthrātus (“grated, latticed, clathrate”), from clāthrī (“grate, lattic”) + -ātus (suffix denoting possession of something, forming adjectives from nouns). Clāthrī is derived from Doric Greek κλᾷθρα (klāîthra), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kleh₂w- (“crook, hook; peg; to close something”).

Words from the same roots