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Origin and history of cure

cure(n.1)

c. 1300, "care, heed," from Latin cura "care, concern, trouble," with many figurative extensions over time such as "study; administration; office of a parish priest; a mistress," and also "means of healing, successful remedial treatment of a disease" (late 14c.), from Old Latin coira-, a noun of unknown origin. Meaning "medical care" is late 14c.

also from c. 1300

cure(n.2)

"parish priest in France or a French country," from French curé (13c.), from Medieval Latin curatus "one responsible for the care (of souls)," from Latin curatus, past participle of curare "to take care of" (see cure (v.) ). Also compare curate (n.).

also from 13c.

cure(v.)

late 14c., "to restore to health or a sound state," from Old French curer and directly from Latin curare "take care of," hence, in medical language, "treat medically, cure" (see cure (n.1)). In reference to fish, pork, etc., "prepare for preservation by drying, salting, etc.," attested by 1743. Related: Cured; curing.

Most words for "cure, heal" in European languages originally applied to the person being treated but now can be used with reference to the disease. Relatively few show an ancient connection to words for "physician;" typically they are connected instead to words for "make whole" or "tend to" or even "conjurer." French guérir (with Italian guarir, Old Spanish guarir) is from a Germanic verb stem also found in in Gothic warjan, Old English wearian "ward off, prevent, defend" (see warrant (n.)).

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to cure

curate(n.)

late 14c., "spiritual guide, ecclesiastic responsible for the spiritual welfare of those in his charge; parish priest," from Medieval Latin curatus "one responsible for the care (of souls)," from Latin curatus, past participle of curare "to take care of" (see cure (v.)). Church of England sense of "paid deputy priest of a parish" first recorded 1550s.

warrant(n.)

c. 1200, warant, "protector, defender, one who guards" (a sense now obsolete), from Old North French warant "defender; surety, pledge; justifying evidence" (Old French garant), from Frankish *warand, from Proto-Germanic *war- "to warn, guard, protect" (source also of Old High German werento "guarantor," noun use of present participle of weren "to authorize, warrant;" German gewähren "to grant"). In Watkins this is reconstructed to be from PIE root *wer- (4) "to cover."

It was extended by c. 1300 to "security or assurance provided via a protector; sanction; permission from a superior which protects one from blame or responsibility." Also by c.1300 in reference to letters, etc., serving as validation of authority.

It is attested by 1590s as "justifying reason or grounds for action, belief, etc." From early 14c. in law, "guarantee of a title or right to possession of property."

Also from early 14c. as "power by official license," and by early 15c. as "written legal document authorizing or commanding some action; a writ." A military warrant officer is one who holds office by warrant (as from a government department), rather than by commission (from a head of state).