Gnathion
/ˈnæθ.i.ən/noun
The lowest point on the front midline of the human mandible, used as an anatomical reference point.
Did you know?Gnathion belongs to the same scientific naming tradition that produced terms for jawed animals, including the taxonomic group Gnathostomata—literally, “jawed mouths.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenu-
“A reconstructed root associated with the jaw, cheek, chin, or knee; its relationship to Greek gnathos is traditionally proposed but not completely certain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
gnáthos (γνάθος)
“Jaw or jawbone.”
Hellenistic–Roman scientific vocabulary
Greek/Latin
gnath-
“A combining form referring to the jaw.”
19th Century
New Latin
gnathion
“An anatomical point associated with the jaw or chin.”
Modern English
English
gnathion
“The lowest median point on the anterior border of the mandible, used in anthropometry and cephalometry.”