Hypothalamus
/ˌhaɪpəˈθæləməs/noun
A region of the brain that regulates functions such as temperature, hunger, thirst, and hormone release.
Did you know?The term was coined in modern anatomical Greek from hypó (“under”) + thálamos (“inner chamber, bedchamber”), so its name is literally a location label rather than a mystical one.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tel-
“to lift, support, bear up”
Ancient Greek
Greek
θάλαμος (thálamos)
“inner chamber, room, bridal chamber, bedchamber”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὑπό (hypó)
“under, beneath”
19th Century
New Latin
hypothalamus
“an anatomical term for the brain region beneath the thalamus”
Modern English
English
hypothalamus
“the brain region beneath the thalamus that helps regulate homeostasis”