Etymology

hypophysis

H4Y4P3O1P3H4Y4S1I1S1

Today it means: The pituitary gland. Full definition →

Ancient Greek ὑπόφυσις (hupóphusis) ← Proto-Indo-European *bʰuHyéti
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*upó
  2. Ancient Greekὑπό (hupó)
  3. Proto-Indo-European*bʰuH-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*bʰuHyéti
  5. Ancient Greekφῠ́ω (phŭ́ō)
  6. Ancient Greekφύσις (phúsis)
  7. Ancient Greekὑπόφυσις (hupóphusis)
  8. English todayhypophysis

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ὑπόφυσις (hupóphusis, literally “attachment underneath”). By surface analysis, hypo- + -physis.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.