Encéphale
/ÉÌ.se.fal/noun
The brain, especially in anatomical or medical usage.
Did you know?Ancient Greek physicians used the word enképhalos for the brain, treating it as the mysterious inner substance contained within the skull rather than simply an organ.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kaput-
âHead; the upper or controlling part of the bodyâ
Ancient Greek
Greek
áŒÎłÎșÎÏÎ±Î»ÎżÏ (enkĂ©phalos)
âBrain; literally âwhat is in the headââ
Medieval Latin
Latin
encephalon
âThe brain, borrowed from Greek anatomical vocabularyâ
16th Century
French
encéphal(e)
âThe brain; a learned anatomical termâ
Modern French
French
encéphale
âThe brain, especially in scientific or medical languageâ
Modern English
English
encephale
âA rare learned form referring to the brainâ