Etymograph

English

platysma

Platysma comes from New Latin platysma ‘platysma muscle’, from Ancient Greek πλᾰ́τῠσμᾰ ‘flat object’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleth₂-1‘flat’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pléth₂us1‘flat, broad’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*plətús1‘wide, broad’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλᾰτῠ́ς2‘wide, broad’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλᾰτῠ́νω3‘widen’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλᾰ́τῠσμᾰ3plắtŭsmă‘flat object’
  7. New Latinc. 1500–1900platysma3‘platysma muscle’
  8. Englishtodayplatysma3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek πλατύς
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek πλατύνω
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English platysma

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleth₂-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek πλατύς‘flat’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pléth₂usWiktionary, Ancient Greek πλατύς‘flat, broad’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*plətúsWiktionary, Ancient Greek πλατύς‘wide, broad’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλᾰτῠ́ςWiktionary, Ancient Greek πλατύνω‘wide, broad’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλᾰτῠ́νωWiktionary, English platysma‘widen’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλᾰ́τῠσμᾰWiktionary, English platysmaplắtŭsmă‘flat object’
  7. New Latinc. 1500–1900platysmaWiktionary, English platysma‘platysma muscle’
  8. EnglishtodayplatysmaWiktionary, English platysma

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- ‘flat’

flat, lateral, piazza, plateau, flan, 12 more

through Proto-Indo-European *pléth₂us ‘flat, broad’

platen, 4 more

through Proto-Hellenic *plətús ‘wide, broad’

plane, plate, platinum, plaice, platitude, 5 more

through Ancient Greek πλᾰτῠ́ς ‘wide, broad’

plaza, plantain

Today it means

noun A superficial muscle of the human neck that overlaps the sternocleidomastoid.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “platysma”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek πλατύς, Ancient Greek πλατύνω. 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 *pleth₂- / platysma

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