Edema
/ɪˈdiːmə/noun
Swelling caused by excess fluid collecting in the body's tissues.
Did you know?Oedipus literally means “swollen-footed” in Greek, combining oidēma-related language for swelling with pous, “foot.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*oid-
“To swell or become swollen; a reconstructed ancestral root associated with the Greek term.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
οἰδέω (oideō)
“I swell or become swollen.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
οἴδημα (oidēma)
“A swelling or swollen condition.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Οἰδίπους (Oidიპous)
“Oedipus, literally “swollen-footed,” a name linked to the same swelling root.”
Late Latin
Latin
ōedēma
“A swelling or accumulation of fluid in tissue, borrowed from Greek.”
18th Century
English
œdema
“A medical term for abnormal swelling, adopted from medical Latin.”
Modern English
English
edema
“Swelling caused by excess fluid in body tissues; the American spelling, while “oedema” remains common in British English.”