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Origin and history of peristaltic

peristaltic(adj.)

"of or pertaining to the involuntary muscular movements of the hollow organs of the body," especially the alimentary canal, 1650s, from Modern Latin, from Greek peristaltikos (Galen), literally "contracting around," from peri "around, about" (see peri-) + stalsis "checking, constriction," related to stellein "draw in, bring together; set in order," from PIE *stel-yo-, suffixed form of root *stel- "to put, stand, put in order," with derivatives referring to a standing object or place.

also from 1650s

Entries linking to peristaltic

peristalsis(n.)

"involuntary muscular movements of hollow organs of the body," especially the alimentary canal, 1859, from Modern Latin peristalsis; see peristaltic.

peri-

word-forming element in words of Greek origin or formation meaning "around, about, enclosing," from Greek peri (prep.) "around, about, beyond," cognate with Sanskrit pari "around, about, through," Latin per, from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, before, first, chief, toward, near, around, against." Equivalent in sense to Latin circum-.

*stel-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to put, stand, put in order," with derivatives referring to a standing object or place.

It might form all or part of: apostle; catastaltic; diastole; epistle; forestall; Gestalt; install; installment; pedestal; peristalsis; peristaltic; stale (adj.); stalk (n.); stall (n.1) "place in a stable for animals;" stall (n.2) "pretense to avoid doing something;" stall (v.1) "come to a stop, become stuck;" stallage; stallion; stele; stell; still (adj.); stilt; stole (n.); stolid; stolon; stout; stultify; systaltic; systole.

It might also be the source of: Greek stellein "to put in order, make ready; equip or dress with weapons, clothes, etc.; prepare (for a journey), dispatch; to furl (sails);" Armenian stełc-anem "to prepare, create;" Albanian shtiell "to wind up, reel up, collect;" Old Church Slavonic po-steljo "I spread;" Old Prussian stallit "to stand;" Old English steall "standing place, stable," Old High German stellen "to set, place."

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