Sickness
/ˈsɪk.nəs/noun
A state of being ill or unwell.
Did you know?In Old English, 'sickness' was closely associated with spiritual afflictions, believed to be punishments from the divine.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
sikaz
“To be ill, to be weak.”
Old English
OE
sīc
“Illness, pain, or disease.”
Middle English
ME
siknesse
“The condition of being sick or ill.”
Modern English
Eng
sickness
“The state of being unwell, often used in a broader sense to denote mental or moral distress.”