Etymology

physiology

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Today it means: A branch of biology that deals with the functions and activities of life or of living matter (as organs, tissues, or cells) and of the physical and chemical phenomena involved. Full definition →

French physiologie ← Latin physiologia ← Ancient Greek φῠσῐολογίᾱ (phŭsĭologíā)
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰuH-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰuHyéti
  3. Ancient Greekφῠ́ω (phŭ́ō)
  4. Ancient Greekφύσις (phúsis)
  5. Proto-Indo-European*leǵ-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*lóǵos
  7. Proto-Hellenic*lógos
  8. Ancient Greekλόγος (lógos)
  9. Ancient Greekφῠσῐολογίᾱ (phŭsĭologíā)
  10. Latinphysiologia
  11. Frenchphysiologie
  12. English todayphysiology

From French physiologie, from Latin physiologia, from Ancient Greek φυσιολογία (phusiología, “natural philosophy”), from φύσις (phúsis, “nature”) + λόγος (lógos, “word”). Equivalent to physio- + -logy.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.