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Origin and history of syncope

syncope(n.)

1520s, "contraction of a word by omission of middle sounds or letters," from Latin syncope "contraction of a word by elision," from Greek synkopē "contraction of a word," literally "a cutting off, cutting up, cutting short," from synkoptein "to cut up." This is from syn- "together," here perhaps "thoroughly" (see syn-) + koptein "to cut." This verb is perhaps from PIE root *kop- "to beat, strike, smite" (see hatchet (n.)). Beekes leaves open the possibility "the word might be from the Pre-Greek or European substrate."

The same word is older in pathology in the sense of "a fainting, loss of consciousness accompanied by a weak pulse," via Old French syncope "illness, fainting fit" and Latin syncope in its nongrammatical sense of "a fainting, swooning." Originally as Middle English sincopis, sincopin (c. 1400), via Medieval Latin sincopis, Late Latin accusative syncopen. The spelling of this was re-Latinized 16c.

The notion is a sudden "cutting off" of consciousness. Compare Greek kopos "a blow, a stroke" (related to the verb) and native stroke (n.1) "apoplectic seizure." Related: Syncoptic (1650s); syncopal (1680s); syncopic (1889).

also from 1520s

Entries linking to syncope

hatchet(n.)

c. 1300 (mid-12c. in surnames), "small axe with a short handle," designed to be used by one hand, from Old French hachete "small combat-axe, hatchet," diminutive of hache "axe, battle-axe, pickaxe," possibly from Frankish *happja or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *hapjo- (source also of Old High German happa "sickle, scythe").

This is perhaps from PIE root *kop- "to beat, strike" (source also of Greek kopis "knife," koptein "to strike, smite," komma "piece cut off;" Lithuanian kaplys "hatchet," kapti, kapiu "to hew, fell;" Old Church Slavonic skopiti "castrate," Russian kopat' "to hack, hew, dig;" Albanian kep "to hew").

Hatchet-face in reference to one with sharp and prominent features is from 1650s. In Middle English, hatch itself was used in a sense "battle-axe." In 14c., hang up (one's) hatchet meant "stop what one is doing." Phrase bury the hatchet "lay aside instruments of war, forget injuries and make peace" (1754) is from a Native American custom to conclude a peace-making, is described from 1680 (bury a tomahawk is by 1705). Hatchet-man was originally California slang for "hired Chinese assassin" (1880), later extended figuratively to journalists who attacked the reputation of a public figure (1944).

stroke(n.1)

[act of striking] c. 1300, "blow delivered with a weapon, paw, or hand," probably from an unrecorded Old English *strac, from Proto-Germanic *straik- (source also of Middle Low German strek, German streich, Gothic striks "stroke"); see stroke (v.).

The meaning "mark of a pen" is from 1560s; that of "a striking of a clock" is from mid-15c. By mid-14c. of a crash of thunder. Of the heart's beating, by early 15c.

The general sense of "a sweeping movement of a sustained object" is by 1610s. In reference to a single pull of an oar, by 1580s; by 1731 in reference to a single movement of machinery. Of a single arm-motion in swimming, by 1800. It also is used figuratively to suggest having been made by a sweeping movement.

The meaning "apoplectic seizure" is from 1590s (originally stroke of God's hand); the notion in this sense is "sudden or special effect produced upon an object," which was particularly applied to God's chastisements or judgments.

The sense of "feat, achievement, effective action" (as in stroke of luck, 1853) is by 1670s. In some senses the English word is perhaps influenced by French coup.

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syncopate
c. 1600, "shorten (words) by omitting one or more syllables or letters in the middle," a back-formation from syncopation, or else from Late Latin syncopatus, past participle of syncopare "to shorten," also "to faint away, swoon," from Late Latin syncope "a fainting away, swooning
syncopation
1530s, in grammar and prosody, "contraction of a word by omission of middle sounds," from Medieval Latin syncopationem (nominative syncopatio) "a shortening or contraction," from past-participle stem of syncopare "to shorten," also "to faint away, to swoon," from Late Latin synco
faint
c. 1300, "enfeebled; wearied, exhausted," from Old French faint, feint "false, deceitful; sham, artificial; weak, faint, lazy, indolent, cowardly," past participle of feindre "hesitate, falter, be indolent, show weakness, avoid one's duty by pretending," from Latin fingere "to to
articulation
early 15c., articulacioun (Chauliac), "a joint or joining; setting of bones," from Old French articulation, from Medieval Latin articulationem (nominative articulatio) "separation into joints," noun of action from past-participle stem of articulare "to separate (meat) into joints
stride
Middle English striden, from Old English stridan (past tense strad, past participle striden), "to straddle, mount" (a horse), from Proto-Germanic *stridanan (source also of Middle Low German strede "stride, strive;" Old Saxon stridian, Danish stride, Swedish strida "to fight," Du
ascetic
1640s, "practicing rigorous self-denial as a religious exercise," from Latinized form of Greek asketikos "rigorously self-disciplined, laborious," from asketēs "monk, hermit," earlier "skilled worker, one who practices an art or trade," especially "athlete, one in training for th
mess
c. 1300, "a supply or provision of food for one meal," from Old French mes "portion of food, course at dinner," from Late Latin missus "course at dinner," literally "a placing, a putting (on a table, etc.)," from past participle of mittere "to put, place," in classical Latin "to
America
1507, "the western hemisphere, North and South America," in Cartographer Martin Waldseemüller's treatise "Cosmographiae Introductio," from Modern Latin Americanus, traditionally after Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512) who made two trips to the New World as a navigator and claimed to h
Dago
1823, from Spanish Diego "James" (see James). Said to have been originally American English slang for "one born of Spanish parents," especially in New Orleans; it was also used of Spanish or Portuguese sailors on English or American ships. By 1900 it had broadened to include non-
spell
early 14c., spellen, "read letter by letter, write or say the letters of;" c. 1400, "form words by means of letters," said in most etymology sources to be from Anglo-French espeller, Old French espelir "to mean, signify; explain, interpret," also "spell out letters, pronounce, re

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