Pathy By Etymonline - Meaning Of Suffix

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Origin and history of -pathy

-pathy

word-forming element of Greek origin meaning "feeling, suffering, emotion; disorder, disease," from Latin -pathia, from Greek -patheia "act of suffering, feeling" (from PIE root *kwent(h)- "to suffer"). In the meaning "system of treatment of disease, method, cure, curative treatment" it is abstracted from homeopathy (q.v.).

Entries linking to -pathy

homeopathy(n.)

"medical treatment of diseased conditions by administration of drugs capable of exciting symptoms similar to those of the sickness," 1826 (homœopathia), from German Homöopathie, coined 1824 by the founder of the system, physician Samuel Friedrich Hahnemann (1755-1843), from Greek homoios "like, similar, of the same kind" (see homeo-) + -patheia "disease," also "feeling, emotion" (see -pathy). Greek homoiopathēs meant "having like feelings or affections, sympathetic."

allopathy(n.)

1836, "treatment of disease by remedies that produce effects opposite to the symptoms," from German Allopathie (Hahnemann), from Greek allos "other" (from PIE root *al- "beyond") + -patheia, "suffering, disease, feeling" (see -pathy). It is the term applied by homeopathists to traditional medicine. A word unloved by classicists; it is malformed and the equivalent Greek compound had a different sense and was used in grammar, etc.

• autopathy
• lymphadenopathy
• naturopathy
• neuropathy
• psychopathy
• telepathy
• *kwent(h)-
• -path
• See All Related Words (10)

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contemplationc. 1200, contemplacioun, "religious musing," from Old French contemplation and directly from Latin contemplationem (nominative contemplatio) "act of looking at," noun of action from past-participle stem of contemplari "to gaze attentively, observe; consider, contemplate," originaaphrodisiac"preparation or drug which excites sexual desire," 1719, from Latinized form of Greek aphrodisiakos "inducing sexual desire," from Aphrodisios, "sacred to Aphrodite, pertaining to Aphrodite," Greek goddess of love and beauty (see Aphrodite), whose name also meant "sexual pleasuregymnasium1590s, "place of exercise," from Latin gymnasium "school for gymnastics," from Greek gymnasion "public place where athletic exercises are practiced; gymnastics school," in plural, "bodily exercises," from gymnazein "to exercise or train," literally or figuratively, literally "to retributionlate 14c., retribucioun, "repayment," from Old French retribution, retribucion, and directly from Latin retributionem (nominative retributio) "recompense, repayment," noun of action from past-participle stem of retribuere "hand back, repay," from re- "back" (see re-) + tribuere "perpetualmid-14c., perpetuel, "everlasting, unceasing, existing indefinitely, continuing forever in future time;" late 14c., "uninterrupted, continuous," from Old French perpetuel "without end" (12c.) and directly from Latin perpetualis "universal," in Medieval Latin "permanent," from perrecalcitrant"refusing to submit, not submissive or compliant," 1823, from French récalcitrant, literally "kicking back" (17c.-18c.), from Late Latin recalcitrantem (nominative recalcitrans), present participle of recalcitrare "to kick back" (of horses), also "be inaccessible," in Late Latin academymid-15c., Achademie, "the classical Academy," properly the name of the public garden where Plato taught his school, from Old French (Modern French Académie) and directly from Latin Academia, from Greek Akadēmeia "The Academy; the grove of Akadēmos," a legendary Athenian of the TrwoodOld English wudu, earlier widu "tree, trees collectively, forest, grove; the substance of which trees are made," from Proto-Germanic *widu- (source also of Old Norse viðr, Danish and Swedish ved "tree, wood," Old High German witu "wood"), from PIE *widhu- "tree, wood" (source alsotherOld English oþer "second, the second of two; additional, further" (adj.), also as a pronoun, "one of the two; a different person or thing from the one in view," from Proto-Germanic *anthera- (source also of Old Saxon athar, Old Frisian other, Old Norse annarr, Middle Dutch and Dufelonc. 1300, "one who deceives or commits treason; one who is wicked or evil; evil-doer," used of Lucifer and Herod, from Old French felon "evil-doer, scoundrel, traitor, rebel, oath-breaker, the Devil" (9c.), from Medieval Latin fellonem (nominative fello) "evil-doer," which is of u

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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/-pathyCopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/-pathy">Etymology of -pathy by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of -pathy. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved January 10, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/-pathyCopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of -pathy," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed January 10, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/-pathy.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of -pathy." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/-pathy. Accessed 10 January, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of -pathy." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/-pathy (accessed January 10, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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TrendingDictionary entries near -pathy

• pathologist
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