English
embolism
Embolism comes from Old French embolisme ‘intercalation of days in a calendar to correct…’, from Ancient Greek ἐμβάλλω ‘to insert, throw in’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-1‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-1reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnō1reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλω2‘to throw’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐμβάλλω3embállō‘to insert, throw in’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐμβολισμός3embolismós‘intercalary’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEembolismus3
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400embolisme3‘intercalation of days in a calendar to correct errors’
- Englishearliest quotation 1844embolism3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλω
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐμβάλλω
- 3 Wiktionary, English embolism
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1844, The Asiatic journal and monthly miscella: “Authorities differ as to the manner in which the…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλω‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλωreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōWiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλωreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλωWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐμβάλλω‘to throw’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐμβάλλωWiktionary, English embolismembállō‘to insert, throw in’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐμβολισμόςWiktionary, English embolismembolismós‘intercalary’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEembolismusWiktionary, English embolism
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400embolismeWiktionary, English embolism‘intercalation of days in a calendar to correct errors’
- Englishearliest quotation 1844embolismWiktionary, English embolism. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1844, The Asiatic journal and monthly miscella: “Authorities differ as to the manner in which the…”
The story
The term was coined in 1848 by Rudolf Virchow.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’
ball, quail, quill, quell, pul, obelisk, 64 more
through Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō
symbolic, ballistic, ballista, symbolist, 35 more
through Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘to throw’
problem, devil, symbol, metabolic, parable, hyperbolic, parabolic, anabolic, metabolize, hyperbola, 34 more
through Ancient Greek ἐμβάλλω ‘to insert, throw in’
Today it means
noun An obstruction or occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus, that is by a blood clot, air bubble or other matter that has been transported by the blood stream.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “embolism”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek βάλλω, Ancient Greek ἐμβάλλω. 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 *gʷelH- / embolism