Chirurgeon
/kəˈrɜːrdʒən/noun
An archaic word for a surgeon; a medical practitioner who performs operations.
Did you know?Chirurgeon comes through Latin and French from Greek roots meaning “hand” and “work,” a reminder that surgery was once literally seen as the craft of the hand.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰesr̥-
“hand”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χείρ (kheír)
“hand”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χειρουργός (kheirourgós)
“working with the hands; a manual worker”
Late Latin
Latin
chirurgus
“a surgeon; one who works with the hands”
Old French
Old French
chirurgien
“surgeon”
Middle English
English
chirurgeon
“a surgeon”
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