Chirurgy
/ˈkɪr.ɜːr.dʒi/noun
An archaic form of surgery, especially the art or practice of treating disease or injury by manual operations.
Did you know?Chirurgy comes from the same Greek root as *cheir* (“hand”), because early surgery was literally “hand-work” — a reminder that healing once meant putting your hands into fate itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰey-
“to hand, to seize”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χείρ (cheír)
“hand”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χειρουργία (cheirourgía)
“hand-work; manual work, especially medical treatment”
Late Latin
Latin
chirurgia
“surgery, the practice of treating by manual operations”
Old French
Old French
cirurgie / chirurgie
“surgery”
Middle English
English
chirurgie
“surgery; the practice of healing by manual operations”
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