English
rosacea
Rosacea comes from Ancient Greek ἀκμή ‘point, top’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-1‘point, sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*akmā́1reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀκμή2akmḗ‘point, top’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900acnē3
- Englishearliest quotation 2008rosacea3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἀκμή
- 2 Wiktionary, Latin acne
- 3 Wiktionary, English rosacea
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2008, Camille Sweeney, In a Perfect World, Rosacea Remains a Problem: “It’s hardly surprising that rosacea tends to strike the…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂eḱ-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἀκμή‘point, sharp’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*akmā́Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἀκμήreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀκμήWiktionary, Latin acneakmḗ‘point, top’
- New Latinc. 1500–1900acnēWiktionary, English rosacea
- Englishearliest quotation 2008rosaceaWiktionary, English rosacea. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2008, Camille Sweeney, In a Perfect World, Rosacea Remains a Problem: “It’s hardly surprising that rosacea tends to strike the…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- ‘point, sharp’
hear, edge, egg, acid, hammer, ear, axe, eager, acute, oxide, vinegar, mediocre, mediocrity, paragon, acupuncture, hark, acacia, acetate, acumen, exacerbate, acuity, acyl, acrimony, acrid, exacerbation, acerbic, roselle, 72 more
through Ancient Greek ἀκμή ‘point, top’
through New Latin acnē
Today it means
noun A chronic condition characterized by redness of the face.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “rosacea”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek ἀκμή, Latin acne. 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 *h₂eḱ- / rosacea