physiology
Meaningthe study of nature
Common meaning: the study of how living bodies work
- physthe way a thing grows; its natural make-upLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 876 · scan
- loga word, saying; reckoning, reasonLiddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), p. 476 · scan
- ynoun ending: study, state or act
‘the way a thing grows’ + ‘a word, saying’ → physiology
Journey through time
- phys — Greek φύσις “the way a thing grows; its natural make-up” (path traced)
- log — Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos) “a word, saying; reckoning, reason” (path traced)
Parts join in Latin as physio.
- Greekφύσις + λόγος (lógos)‘the way a thing grows + a word, saying’
- Latinphysio
- Frenchphysiologie
- Englishphysiology‘the study of how living bodies work’ · today
phys also in: nonphysicalmicrophysicsnonphysicallyneurophysiology
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Greek φύσις ‘the way a thing grows; its natural make-up’ + Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos) ‘a word, saying; reckoning, reason’.
Did you know (Psychology, sociology, physiology,…): our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), entry λόγος (lógos), p. 476 · dictionary scan
Did you know (Greek physis, "nature,…): our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), entry φύσις, p. 876 · dictionary scan
Roots
- λόγος (lógos) Ancient Greek “a word, saying; reckoning, reason”
- φύσις Greek “the way a thing grows; its natural make-up”
Related words
Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app