Inguinal Hernia
/ˈɪŋ.ɡwɪ.nəl ˈhɜːr.ni.ə/noun
A hernia occurring in the groin, where tissue pushes through the abdominal wall near the inguinal canal.
Did you know?Inguinal comes from Latin inguen, meaning “groin,” while hernia is an old Latin medical word for a “rupture” or “protrusion,” so the phrase is literally a clinical label for a break in the body’s wall.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
inguen
“groin; the region of the lower abdomen”
Late Latin
Latin
hernia
“rupture, rupture-like swelling, protruding mass”
17th Century
English
inguinal hernia
“a hernia in the groin region”
Modern English
English
inguinal hernia
“a protrusion of tissue through the abdominal wall in the groin”