Macula
/ˈmækjʊlə/noun
A spot, blemish, or stain; in anatomy, a small localized area of tissue with a distinct function or appearance.
Did you know?Latin macula meant a physical stain or flaw, and its descendant in Romance languages helped shape words for “blemish” and “spot,” while English “maul” and “mangle” come from the same ancient source through a Germanic branch.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mak-
“to stain, spot, or mark”
Latin
Latin
macula
“a spot, stain, blemish, or flaw”
Old French
Old French
macule
“a stain, spot, or blot”
Middle English
English
macule
“a spot or stain; a blot”
Modern English
English
macula
“a spot or localized patch, especially in anatomy”