Origin and history of mental

early 15c., phisical, "medicinal" (opposed to surgical), from Medieval Latin physicalis "of nature, natural," from Latin physica "study of nature" (see physic). The meaning "pertaining to matter, of or pertaining to what is perceived by the senses" is from 1590s; the meaning "hav

1560s, "pertaining to marriage," from Latin genialis "pleasant, festive," originally "pertaining to marriage rites," from genius "guardian spirit," with here perhaps a special sense of "tutelary deity of a married couple," from PIE *gen(e)-yo-, from root *gene- "give birth, beget

"one who scientifically treats or studies mental illness," 1864, from French aliéniste, from alienation in the sense of "...insanity, loss of mental faculty," from Latin alienare "deprive of reason, drive mad," literally "to make another's, estrange...The mental sense of alienate has since mostly died out in English, but Middle English had aliened from mind "deranged, not...rational" (late 14c.), and alienation was used from 15c. in a sense of "loss or derangement of mental faculties, insanity...

"mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions of more or less definite scope," 1848 (earlier paranoea 1811), from...Greek paranoia "mental derangement, madness," from paranoos "mentally ill, insane," from para- "beside, beyond" (see para...["Paranoia — Systematized Delusions and Mental Degenerations," J. Séglas (transl. William Noyes), 1888]...

Sense of "a drawing of the mind in different directions, mental confusion or bewilderment" is from 1590s....Meaning "violent mental disturbance, excitement simulating madness" (in driven to distraction, etc.) is from c. 1600....Meaning "a thing or fact that causes mental diversion or bewilderment" is from 1610s....

"pertaining to mental conception," 1820 (there is an isolated use from 1662), from Medieval Latin conceptualis, from Latin...Perhaps it emerged to go with the distinctly mental sense of conception, as it seems rarely, if ever, to have been used in...

"positive unbelief, mental rejection of a statement or assertion for which credence is demanded," 1670s; see dis- + belief...Disbelief is more commonly used to express an active mental opposition which does not imply a blameworthy disregard of evidence...

mid-14c., in classical mythology, "sea nymph who by her singing lures sailors to their destruction," from Old French sereine (12c., Modern French sirène) and directly from Latin Siren (Late Latin Sirena), from Greek Seiren ["Odyssey," xii.39 ff.], one of the Seirēnes, the mythica

1887, "special group-study class for advanced students pursuing real research," from German Seminar "group of students working with a professor," from Latin seminarium "plant nursery, seed plot," figuratively, "breeding ground," from seminarius "of seed," from semen (genitive sem

late 14c., necessarie, "needed, required; essential, indispensable; such as must be, that cannot be otherwise; not voluntary or governed by chance or free will," from Old French necessaire "necessary, urgent, compelling" (13c.), and directly from Latin necessarius "unavoidable, i