English
sarcoma
Sarcoma comes from Ancient Greek σάρκωμα, from σάρξ ‘flesh’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *twerḱ- ‘to cut’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*twerḱ-1‘to cut’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*turḱ-s1reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσάρξ2‘flesh’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσάρκωμα2sárkōma
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsarcoma2
- Englishearliest quotation 2019sarcoma2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek σάρξ
- 2 Wiktionary, English sarcoma
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants: “Only about 1 per cent of cancers are found…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*twerḱ-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek σάρξ‘to cut’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*turḱ-sWiktionary, Ancient Greek σάρξreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσάρξWiktionary, English sarcoma‘flesh’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσάρκωμαWiktionary, English sarcomasárkōma
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsarcomaWiktionary, English sarcoma
- Englishearliest quotation 2019sarcomaWiktionary, English sarcoma. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants: “Only about 1 per cent of cancers are found…”
Equivalent to sarc- + -oma
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *twerḱ- ‘to cut’
trunk, trench, sarcastic, truncation, truncate, truncheon, 16 more
through Ancient Greek σάρξ ‘flesh’
Today it means
noun A type of malignant tumor of the bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “sarcoma”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek σάρξ. 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 *twerḱ- / sarcoma