Gynaecology
/ˌɡaɪnəˈkɒlədʒi/noun
The branch of medicine dealing with the female reproductive system.
Did you know?Gynaecology was coined in modern scientific Latin from Greek roots, and its first element is the same ancient root behind words like gynecology’s older spellings and the Greek word for “woman” itself.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
γυνή (gynḗ)
“woman”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-λογία (-logía)
“study, account, discourse”
Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
gynaecologia
“study of women’s diseases and reproductive health”
19th Century
English
gynaecology
“the medical study and treatment of the female reproductive system”
Modern English
English
gynaecology
“the branch of medicine concerned with the female reproductive system”
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