English
coronary
Coronary comes from Latin corōnārius ‘crown, garland, wreath’, from Ancient Greek κορώνη ‘a type of sea-bird, perhaps shearwater’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to turn, bend’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-1‘to turn, bend’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκορώνη1‘a type of sea-bird, perhaps shearwater’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcorōna2‘crown’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcorōnārius2‘crown, garland, wreath’
- Englishearliest quotation 1659coronary2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Latin corona
- 2 Wiktionary, English coronary
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1659, John Pearson: “The coronary thorns did not only express the scorn…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ker-Wiktionary, Latin corona‘to turn, bend’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκορώνηWiktionary, Latin corona‘a type of sea-bird, perhaps shearwater’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcorōnaWiktionary, English coronary‘crown’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcorōnāriusWiktionary, English coronary‘crown, garland, wreath’
- Englishearliest quotation 1659coronaryWiktionary, English coronary. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1659, John Pearson: “The coronary thorns did not only express the scorn…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ‘to turn, bend’
short, across, share, cancer, screen, card, cross, shirt, circle, circuit, score, crucial, curve, circus, skirt, scare, circulation, curb, scrutiny, shrine, carnival, crest, cancellation, circa, scar, shred, raffle, shear, circulate, shrewd, incarceration, crux, carcinoma, cirque, carnage, riddance, crepe, scorpion, shard, ruck, 116 more
through Ancient Greek κορώνη ‘a type of sea-bird, perhaps shearwater’
through Latin corōna ‘crown’
Today it means
adj Pertaining to a crown or garland.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “coronary”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin corona. 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 *(s)ker- / coronary