Science, ideas & the arts

nostalgia

A Swiss medical student coined nostalgia in 1688 from Greek nóstos 'homecoming' and álgos 'pain', as a learned name for the homesickness of soldiers abroad. It was a disease before it was a mood, and Greek itself took the word back from the doctors.

Weakest linkCertain

The road to English

From New Latin to French, Russian

From French to German

From French to Japanese

From French to Turkish

From New Latin to Italian

From New Latin to Spanish

From New Latin to Modern Greek

From New Latin to Modern Hebrew

700 BCEAncient Greek

Hops are evenly spaced; labels show the year each form is first attested.

The road to English

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