Phagy
/ˈfædʒi/noun
The act or process of eating, especially as used in biological terms.
Did you know?The Greek root behind phagy appears in sarcophagus, literally “flesh-eater,” based on the ancient belief that a particular stone consumed corpses.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰeh₂g-
“To eat or consume”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φαγεῖν (phageîn)
“To eat”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-φαγία (-phagia)
“Eating or feeding”
Hellenistic and Roman scientific vocabulary
Greek/Latin
-phagia
“A suffix describing eating or feeding behavior”
19th Century
English
-phagy
“A scientific combining form meaning eating”
Modern English
English
phagy
“The act or process of eating, especially in biology”
Explore more surprising origins