Stomach
/ˈstɒmək/noun
The organ in the body that breaks down food after it is swallowed.
Did you know?The Latin root 'stomachus' originally meant 'guts' or 'insides', hinting at a deeper connection between the physical and metaphorical aspects of our inner selves.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*stomāḱ
“to pierce or cut, often relating to the act of consuming food.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
στόμαχος (stomachos)
“the gullet or throat, later extended to mean the belly or abdomen.”
Latin
Latin
stomachus
“belly, stomach, or the internal organs.”
Old French
Old French
estomac
“the belly or stomach, used in culinary and medical contexts.”
Middle English
Middle English
stomak
“the internal organ responsible for digestion, borrowed from Old French.”
Modern English
English
stomach
“the organ that digests food, retaining its roots in the concept of bodily interiors.”