Ophthalmology
/ˌɒf.θælˈmɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The branch of medicine concerned with the anatomy, physiology, and diseases of the eye.
Did you know?Ophthalmology comes from Greek roots meaning “eye” + “study/discourse,” and that same eye-root also gave us the ancient term ophthalmos, which doctors kept alive for centuries in technical language.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ophthalmos
“the eye”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-logia
“study, discourse, account”
Late Greek / Medieval Latin
Greek/Latin
ophthalmologia
“discourse or treatise on the eye”
16th–17th Century
Latin/English
ophthalmologia
“medical writing or study concerning the eye”
Modern English
English
ophthalmology
“the medical specialty dealing with the eye”
Explore more surprising origins