hypochondria

hypochondria
\ \ [16] Originally, hypochondria was an anatomical term, denoting the ‘area of the abdomen beneath the ribs’. It comes via Latin from Greek hupokhóndrion, a compound noun formed from the prefix hupo- ‘under’ and khóndroscartilage’. This particular part of the body was formerly supposed to be the seat of melancholy, and so in the 17th century the word came to be used for ‘low spirits, depression’.
\ \ The modern sense ‘belief of being ill’ originally be longed to the derived hypochondriasis [18], but was transferred in the 19th century to hypochondria.

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • hypochondria — 1839, illness without a specific cause, earlier (1660s) depression or melancholy without real cause, earlier still (late 14c.) ipocondrie upper abdomen, from L.L. hypochondria the abdomen, from Gk. hypokhondria (neuter plural of hypokhondrios),… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Hypochondria — Hy po*chon dri*a, n. [NL.] (Med.) An excessive concern about one s own health, particularly a morbid worry about illnesses which a person imagines are affecting him, often focusing on specific symptoms; also called {hypochondriasis}. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hypochondria — hypochondria; hypomania /haypakondriya, hipa/haypameyn(i)ya, hipa / See insanity …   Black's law dictionary

  • hypochondria — hypochondria; hypomania /haypakondriya, hipa/haypameyn(i)ya, hipa / See insanity …   Black's law dictionary

  • hypochondria — ► NOUN ▪ abnormal chronic anxiety about one s health. ORIGIN Greek hupokhondria, denoting the soft body area below the ribs, originally thought to be the seat of melancholy …   English terms dictionary

  • hypochondria — [hī΄pə kän′drē ə] n. [ModL < LL, pl., abdomen (the supposed seat of the condition) < pl. of Gr hypochondrion, soft part of the body below the cartilage of the breastbone < hypo (see HYPO ) + chondros, cartilage, by dissimilation <… …   English World dictionary

  • hypochondria — [16] Originally, hypochondria was an anatomical term, denoting the ‘area of the abdomen beneath the ribs’. It comes via Latin from Greek hupokhóndrion, a compound noun formed from the prefix hupo ‘under’ and khóndros ‘cartilage’. This particular… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • Hypochondria — Hypochondrium Hy po*chon dri*um, n.; pl. L. {Hypochondria}, E. {Hypochondriums}. [L., fr. Gr. ?, from ? under the cartilage of the breastbone; ? under + ? cartilage.] (Anat.) Either of the hypochondriac regions. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hypochondria — noun Etymology: New Latin, from Late Latin, plural, upper abdomen (formerly regarded as the seat of hypochondria), from Greek, literally, the parts under the cartilage (of the breastbone), from hypo + chondros cartilage Date: 1668 extreme… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • hypochondria — hy|po|chon|dri|a [ˌhaıpəˈkɔndriə US ˈka:n ] n [U] [Date: 1500 1600; : Late Latin; Origin: (plural), parts of the body just below the chest (which was thought to be where hypochondria came from), from Greek, parts below the central bone in the… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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