Etymograph

English

symptomatic

Symptomatic comes from Ancient Greek συμπτωματικός ‘of or pertaining to a chance, casual’, from σύμπτωμα ‘a symptom’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to fall’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-1‘to fall’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pípth₂-1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*píptō1reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπῑ́πτω2‘to fall’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυμπίπτω3‘happen, occur’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσύμπτωμα4súmptōma‘a symptom’
  7. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυμπτωματικός4sumptōmatikós‘of or pertaining to a chance, casual’
  8. New Latinc. 1500–1900symptomaticus4
  9. Frenchc. 1600–presentsymptomatique4
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1843symptomatic4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek πίπτω
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek συμπίπτω
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek σύμπτωμα
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English symptomatic
  5. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1843, Thomas Macaulay: “Symptomatic of a shallow understanding and an unamiable temper.”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peth₂-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek πίπτω‘to fall’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pípth₂-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek πίπτωreconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*píptōWiktionary, Ancient Greek πίπτωreconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπῑ́πτωWiktionary, Ancient Greek συμπίπτω‘to fall’
  5. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυμπίπτωWiktionary, Ancient Greek σύμπτωμα‘happen, occur’
  6. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσύμπτωμαWiktionary, English symptomaticsúmptōma‘a symptom’
  7. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσυμπτωματικόςWiktionary, English symptomaticsumptōmatikós‘of or pertaining to a chance, casual’
  8. New Latinc. 1500–1900symptomaticusWiktionary, English symptomatic
  9. Frenchc. 1600–presentsymptomatiqueWiktionary, English symptomatic
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1843symptomaticWiktionary, English symptomatic. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1843, Thomas Macaulay: “Symptomatic of a shallow understanding and an unamiable temper.”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to fall’

pass, mile, expansion, pen, expand, repeat, petition, compete, patent, helicopter, perpetual, feather, spawn, competitor, expanse, impetus, perpetuate, perpetuity, pennant, petulant, pinion, impetuous, patina, patella, pata, penna, petulance, 83 more

Today it means

adj Showing symptoms.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “symptomatic”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek πίπτω, Ancient Greek συμπίπτω, Ancient Greek σύμπτωμα. 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 *peth₂- / symptomatic

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