u/taktaga7-0-0

“Bulimia” comes from the Greek for “hungry as an ox.”

βοῦς “bous” ox + λῑμός “limos” hunger

The first root is the same as in “bovine,” “boustrophedon,” and the constellation “Boötes.”

Early loans into English include unusual ravenous hunger as “bulimy.” The eating disorder bulimia nervosa was not named/described as such until 1979.

u/taktaga7-0-0 — 17 hours ago
🔥 Hot ▲ 87 r/etymology

The words “govern” and “cybernetic” share the same root

Both come from the Greek κυβερνάω *kubernao*, ”to steer.”

Governors steer states, cybernetics steers machines. ”Govern” was inherited through Latin *gubernō*, hence the different sounds.

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u/taktaga7-0-0 — 2 days ago