Pediatrician
/ˌpiː.di.əˈtrɪʃ.ən/noun
A doctor who specializes in the medical care of children.
Did you know?Pediatrician comes through modern medical Latin from Greek paidion/pais, the same root that gave us words like pedagogue and encyclopedia’s -paedia, all tied to the ancient world’s obsession with educating and forming the child.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂w-
“to be small, few”
Ancient Greek
Greek
pais, paidos
“child, boy, girl”
Late Greek
Greek
paidiatros
“child doctor”
19th Century
English
pediatric
“relating to the medical care of children”
19th Century
English
pediatrician
“a physician specializing in the care of children”
Explore more surprising origins