Respiration
/ˌrɛspəˈreɪʃən/noun
The act of breathing; the process of inhaling and exhaling air.
Did you know?The Latin root 'spirare' means 'to breathe' and is linked to the idea of spirit or soul, hinting that every breath connects us to the divine.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*spēi-
“to breathe, to blow”
Latin
Latin
respiratio
“the act of breathing again, renewal of breath”
Old French
Old French
respiration
“breathing, a return to breath”
Middle English
Middle English
respiracioun
“the action of breathing, renewed breath”
Modern English
English
respiration
“the process of breathing, inhalation and exhalation”