Larynx
/ˈlær.ɪŋks/noun
The part of the throat that contains the vocal cords and produces sound.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek lárunx, a term for the throat or upper windpipe, and it entered English through scientific Latin rather than folklore or magic.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
lárynx / lárunx
“Throat; upper windpipe; voice box area”
Classical Latin
Latin
larynx
“The larynx, adopted in medical writing”
Late Medieval Latin
Latin
larynx
“Anatomical term in scholarly and medical texts”
16th Century
English
larynx
“A medical/anatomical term for the voice box”
Modern English
English
larynx
“The organ in the throat that produces voice”
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