physicalphysical

Physical is borrowed from Late Latin physicālis, from Latin physica ‘study of nature’, from Ancient Greek φυσική, from φύσις ‘nature’.

1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-¹‘to appear, become’reconstructed
2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφῠ́ω¹phŭ́ō‘to grow’
3. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφύσις¹phúsis‘nature, origin’
4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφυσικός¹phusikós‘natural; physical’
5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφυσική¹phusikḗfeminine singular of φυσικός
6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEphysica¹‘study of nature’
7. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEphysicālis¹
8. Englishearliest quotation 1579physical¹

1. ¹ Wiktionary, English physical
2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1579, Thomas North: “Phisicall [translating φαρμακώδεις (pharmakṓdeis)] herbes, as Helleborum, Lingewort, or…”.