diarrhea (English)

Where does "diarrhea" come from?

The English word 'diarrhea' traces back through Middle English 'diaria' and Middle French 'diarrie' to Late Latin 'diarrhoea', which was borrowed from the Ancient Greek 'διάρροια' meaning 'through-flowing'[1][2][5]. This Greek term combines 'διά' meaning 'through' with 'ῥέω' meaning 'to flow'[1][6]. The verbal root ultimately descends from the Proto-Indo-European '*srew-' meaning 'to flow, stream'[4][7]. The English spelling was later altered to more closely resemble its classical Latin and Greek origins[1].

Open questions

• According to one theory, the Proto-Indo-European root '*srew-' is derived from '*ser-'. [4]

Full etymology tree

• diarrhea (English), 'A gastrointestinal disorder characterized by frequent and very soft or watery bowel movements.'
  • borrowed diaria (Middle English)
    • borrowed diarrie (Middle French), 'diarrhea'
      • borrowed diarrhoea (Latin), 'diarrhoea'
        • borrowed διάρροια (diárrhoia) (Ancient Greek), 'flowing through, diarrhoea'
          • derived διάρρεω (diarrhéō) (Ancient Greek)
            • compound δια- (dia-) (Ancient Greek), 'in different directions'
              • derived διά (diá) (Ancient Greek), '[with genitive]'
                • derived *δισά (disá) (Ancient Greek)
                  • inherited *dwís (Proto-Indo-European), 'twice, doubly'
            • compound ῥέω (rhéō) (Ancient Greek), 'to flow, stream, run, gush'
              • inherited *hréwō (Proto-Hellenic), 'to flow, stream'
                • inherited *sréweti (Proto-Indo-European), 'to flow'
                  • derived *srew- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to flow, stream'
          • suffix -ια (-ia) (Ancient Greek), 'Primitive suffix added to the stems of adjectives in -ύς (-ús) and some nouns to form feminine gender'

Ancestors

• *srew- (Proto-Indo-European)
• diarrie (Middle French)
• diarrhoea (Latin)
• διάρροια (Ancient Greek)

Cognates and doublets

• diarrhée (French)

Descendants and derived words

• daiyariya (Australian Kriol)
• antidiarrhea (English)
• bangorrhea (English)
• bovine viral diarrhea (English)
• diarrheagenic (English)
• diarrhea of the mouth (English)
• diarrheogenic (English)
• keyboard diarrhea (English)
• pseudodiarrhea (English)
• runner's diarrhea (English)
• traveler's diarrhea (English)
• travelers' diarrhea (English)

Sources

1. diarrhea (English) - Wiktionary
2. diarrhoea (Latin) - Wiktionary
3. διάρροια (diárrhoia) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
4. srew- (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
5. diarrie (Middle French) - Wiktionary
6. διαρρέω (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
7. ῥέω (rhéō) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
8. hréwō (Proto-Hellenic) - Wiktionary
9. sréweti (Proto-Indo-European) - Wiktionary
10. διά (diá) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris