Apnea
/ˈæp.ni.ə/noun
A temporary stopping of breathing, especially during sleep.
Did you know?In ancient Greek, the root behind apnea is the same one used for “spirit” and “breath,” because early thinkers treated breathing as the sign of life itself.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἄπνοια (ánoia / ápnoia)
“want of breath; difficulty breathing”
Late Latin
Latin
apnoea
“breathlessness; temporary cessation of breathing”
Middle French
French
apnée
“breathlessness”
18th-19th Century
English
apnoea
“cessation of breathing”
Modern English
English
apnea
“temporary stopping of breathing, especially during sleep”