physician

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromφυσική ἐπιστήμη“knowledge of nature”
2. Latin · derived fromphysica“natural science”
3. Old French · derived fromfisicïen“physician”
4. Middle English · inherited fromfisicien
5. English todayphysician

From Middle English fisicien, from Old French fisicïen (“physician”) (modern French physicien (“physicist”)), from fisique (“art of healing”), from Latin physica (“natural science”), from Ancient Greek φυσική ἐπιστήμη (phusikḗ epistḗmē, “knowledge of nature”), from φυσικός (phusikós, “pertaining to nature”). Displaced native Middle English læche, leche, archaic English leech (“physician”). Morphologically physic + -ian.

Words from the same roots