Etymograph

English

atonia

Atonia comes from Ancient Greek ἀτονία ‘languor’, from ἄτονος ‘not stretched, relaxed’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ten-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-1‘stretch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tón-os1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*tónos1‘tension’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτόνος2‘tension’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἄτονος2átonos‘not stretched, relaxed’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀτονία3atonía‘languor’
  7. New Latinc. 1500–1900atonia3
  8. Englishtodayatonia3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek τόνος
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἀτονία
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English atonia

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek τόνος‘stretch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tón-osWiktionary, Ancient Greek τόνοςreconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*tónosWiktionary, Ancient Greek τόνος‘tension’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτόνοςWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἀτονία‘tension’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἄτονοςWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἀτονίαátonos‘not stretched, relaxed’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀτονίαWiktionary, English atoniaatonía‘languor’
  7. New Latinc. 1500–1900atoniaWiktionary, English atonia
  8. EnglishtodayatoniaWiktionary, English atonia

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘stretch’

continue, content, entertainment, tight, maintenance, obtain, contain, retain, tennis, tender, continuous, sustain, continent, tenant, detention, retention, tenor, rein, pertinent, pristine, continuum, detain, abstinence, tenacity, abstain, tendon, tenacious, tenet, sustenance, countenance, pertain, tetanus, tenement, incontinence, retinue, tantra, tenable, maintainer, abstention, retentive, 67 more

through Proto-Hellenic *tónos ‘tension’

peritoneum, 9 more

through Ancient Greek τόνος ‘tension’

tune, tone, ton, tonic, 12 more

Today it means

noun Lack of muscle tone.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “atonia”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek τόνος, Ancient Greek ἀτονία. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ten- / atonia

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