Phakic
/ˈfeɪ.kɪk/noun
Relating to the eye’s natural crystalline lens, especially when that lens remains present.
Did you know?Ancient Greek physicians compared the eye’s crystalline lens to a lentil, inspiring the Greek term phakos and the modern ophthalmological prefix phak-.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
φακός (phakos)
“A lentil; also a lens-shaped object, including the eye’s crystalline lens”
Hellenistic–Roman period
Greek/Latin
phakos / phacos
“A lentil or lens; the term was adopted into medical vocabulary for the ocular lens”
19th Century
Medical English
phak- / phaco-
“A combining form referring to the crystalline lens of the eye”
20th Century
Medical English
phakic
“Having the natural crystalline lens present in the eye”
Modern English
English
phakic
“Relating to an eye that retains its natural lens, especially in contrast with aphakic or pseudophakic eyes”
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