Iatrology
/ˌaɪ.əˈtrɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The study of medicine or the theory and practice of healing.
Did you know?Iatrology comes from the same Greek healer-root found in words such as psychiatry and podiatry, preserving the ancient image of the physician as a practitioner of healing knowledge.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*yā- / *yē-
“To heal or make whole; a proposed ancestral root behind Greek healing vocabulary”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἰατρός (iatros)
“Physician or healer”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἰατρεία (iatreia)
“Healing, medical treatment, or the practice of medicine”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-λογία (-logia)
“Study, account, or systematic knowledge”
19th Century
English
iatrology
“The study or theory of medicine”
Modern English
English
iatrology
“A rare term for the study of medicine or healing”
Explore more surprising origins