Concussion
/kənˈkʌʃ.ən/noun
A violent shaking or a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a blow or jolt.
Did you know?Concussion comes from Latin concussio, from concutere, “to shake violently,” a cousin of words for striking and hammering, so the term originally described the act of violently rattling something apart.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kwet-
“to shake, strike, or agitate”
Latin
Latin
concutere
“to shake violently, dash together, strike”
Late Latin
Latin
concussio
“violent shaking; shock; concussion”
14th Century
English
concussion
“violent shaking or shock”
Modern English
English
concussion
“a violent shaking or a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a blow or jolt”