Meninges
/məˈnɪndʒiːz/noun
The three protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Did you know?Ancient Greek physicians called these coverings mēninges, a term preserved almost unchanged in modern anatomy for more than two millennia.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μῆνιγξ (mēninx)
“A membrane or thin covering, especially around the brain”
Hellenistic Greek
Greek
μήνιγγες (mēninges)
“Membranes or coverings of the brain”
2nd Century CE
Greek
μήνιγγες
“Anatomical membranes described in medical writings associated with Galenic medicine”
17th Century
New Latin
meninges
“The membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord”
Modern English
English
meninges
“The three protective layers around the brain and spinal cord”
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