Hemophilia
/ˌhiː.məˈfɪl.i.ə/noun
A hereditary disorder in which the blood does not clot normally.
Did you know?The word was coined in modern medical Latin from Greek roots, and the same -philia ending also appears in words meaning “love” or “attraction,” giving the term its eerie “blood-loving” form.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
haîma
“blood”
Ancient Greek
Greek
philía
“love, affection, fondness”
19th Century
New Latin
haemophilia
“a medical term for the inherited bleeding disorder”
Modern English
English
hemophilia
“a hereditary condition marked by impaired blood clotting”
Explore more surprising origins