spleen

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromσπλήν“the spleen”
2. Latin · derived fromsplēn“milt”
3. Old French · derived fromesplein
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromespleen
5. Middle English · inherited fromsplene
6. English todayspleen

From Middle English splene, splen, from Anglo-Norman espleen and Old French esplein, esplen, from Latin splēn (“milt”), from Ancient Greek σπλήν (splḗn, “the spleen”). Doublet of lien. Partially displaced the native English term milt.

Words from the same roots