Trachea
/ˈtreɪ.ki.ə/noun
The windpipe, the tube that carries air from the larynx to the bronchi.
Did you know?In Ancient Greek, trakhys could mean “rough” or “harsh,” and that same root also gave English words tied to ruggedness and severity — a reminder that anatomy was once described with almost mystical physical honesty.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ters-
“To dry; to be rough or parched.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
τραχύς (trakhýs)
“Rough, harsh, uneven.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
τραχεία ἀρτηρία (trakheîa artēría)
“The “rough artery,” the windpipe.”
Late Latin
Latin
trachēa
“Windpipe.”
Middle English
English
trachee
“The windpipe.”
Modern English
English
trachea
“The windpipe.”
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