Etymology — The origins of English words

strategy

Greek

From Greek stratēgia, "the office or role of a general," from stratos ("army") plus agein ("to lead").

Sophie

French

From French Sophie, equivalent to English Sophia, both ultimately from Greek sophia, "wisdom."

stethoscope

French

Borrowed from French stéthoscope, coined by the physician René Laennec, who invented the device.

stereotype

French · 1922

Borrowed from French stéréotype, originally a printing term for a solid metal plate; the "oversimplified idea about a group" sense dates to Walter Lippmann's 1922 book Public Opinion.

satyr

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek saturos, the name of the mythological creature.

Sophia

Latin

From Greek sophia, "wisdom," via Latin Sophia — long associated with the early Christian martyr Saint Sophia and used widely across European royal families.

satire

Latin

From Latin satira, originally referring to a mixed, varied composition; the spelling later shifted under the mistaken belief it was connected to the Greek "satyr," though the two words are historically unrelated.

scheme

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin schēma ("figure, form"), from Greek skhēma, related to a word meaning "to hold". A doublet of "schema".

rhapsody

Greek

From Greek rhapsōidia, "a part of an epic poem recited aloud," from rhaptein ("to sew, stitch together") plus ōidē ("song") — literally "stitched-together song."

neurology

New Latin

From New Latin neurologia, built from neuro- ("nerve") plus -logy ("study of").

necrosis

Greek

From Greek nekrōsis, from nekros ("corpse, dead").

narcolepsy

French

From French narcolepsie, built from Greek roots meaning "put to sleep" and "seizure".

lyric

Latin

From Latin lyricus, from Greek lurikos, "of the lyre" — originally describing poetry meant to be sung to lyre accompaniment.

lymphoma

Origin

From "lymph" plus the medical suffix "-oma", meaning tumour or abnormal growth.

Luke

Latin

From Latin Lūcās, from Koine Greek Λουκᾶς (Loukâs).

lethargy

Greek

From Greek lethargia, "drowsiness," from lethargos, "forgetful, drowsy."

lamp

Latin

From Old French lampe, from Latin lampas, from Greek lampas ("torch, light"), ultimately from a root meaning "to shine."

kaleidoscope

Greek · 1817

Coined in 1817 by Scottish scientist David Brewster from Greek kalos ("beautiful") + eidos ("shape") + "-scope" (an instrument for viewing) — literally "an instrument for viewing beautiful shapes."

Irene

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek "Eirene," meaning "peace" — the name of the goddess of peace.

polka

Polish

From Czech polka, likely a shortening of půlka ("half-step"), referring to the dance's quick half-steps; possibly reinforced by the word for a Polish woman.

aphrodisiac

Latin

From Greek aphrodisiakos, "relating to Aphrodite," the goddess of love and beauty.

arithmetic

Greek

From Greek arithmetike (tekhne), "(art of) counting," from arithmos, "number."

asparagus

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek asparagos via Latin. In some English dialects the word was reshaped by folk etymology into "sparrowgrass."

asphyxia

Ancient Greek

Borrowed from Ancient Greek, literally meaning "stopping of the pulse."