Hepatology
/ˌhɛpəˈtɒlədʒi/noun
The branch of medicine concerned with the liver and its disorders.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek ἧπαρ (hēpar), “liver,” which also gave science terms like hepatic—because for centuries the liver was seen as a seat of life, temperament, and fate.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἧπαρ (hēpar)
“liver”
Late Greek
Greek
-λογία (-logia)
“study of, discourse”
Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
hepatologia
“study of the liver”
19th Century
English
hepatology
“the medical study of the liver”
Modern English
English
hepatology
“the branch of medicine dealing with the liver and its diseases”