Before vowels, ophthalm-, element forming and mostly in plural, "eyes". ophthalmia, ophthalmologist, ophthalmology, ophthalmoscope. from etymonline.com: ophthalmic (adj. "pertaining to the eye," early 18c., from Latin ophthalmicus, from Greek ophthalmikos "pertaining to the eye," from ophthalmos "eye" (see ophthalmo-). ophthalmia (n.) "inflammation of the eye, conjunctivitis," late 14c., from Medieval Latin obtalmia, Old French obtalmie, from Late Latin ophthalmia, or directly from Greek ophthalmia, from ophthalmos (see ophthalmo-) + -ia. ophthalmo- before vowels ophthalm-, word-forming element meaning "eye," mostly in plural, "the eyes," from Greek ophthalmo-, comb. form of ophthalmos "eye," originally "the seeing," of uncertain origin. Perhaps from ops "eye" (cf optic) + a form related to thalamos "inner room, chamber" , giving the whole a sense of "eye and eye socket." ophthalmoscope (n.) 1857 in English; coined 1852 by German physician and physicist Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (1821–1894) from ophthalmo- + -scope. Thayer Definition: 1) the eye 2) metaphorically the eyes of the mind, the faculty of knowing Part of Speech: noun masculine A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G3700, optanomai / optomai |
