The terms “sanguine”, “melancholic”, “choleric” and “phlegmatic” are still commonly used in English, but they are based on medical theories that became obsolete centuries ago.
Any other terms that are still commonly used that have their origin in defunct scientific theories ? I’ve occasionally heard reference to “the ether” but I’d hardly call it a commonly used term.
Any other suggestions ?
Do you have a sense of humor?
“hysteria” - Hippocratic medicine
“quintessential” -classical elements
“sunrise/sunset/solstice” - geocentric theory
“disaster” - astrology
“cold” (the disease caused by a viral infection, not by cold)
“malaria” (the disease caused by a bacterial infection, not by “bad air”)
“Anal” personality, from Freudian psychoanalysis.
Technically, there are two types of anal personalities in Freud’s theories. Anal-retentive is the one that we currently incorporate into our lexicon. The other, anal-expulsive, isn’t used.
These two are pretty interesting (and can’t immediately find an description of their origin). Where do they come from ?
Oh and one obvious one I just remember is Lunatic.
Though according to the wiki page there might actually be a kernel of truth to this idea:
“quintessence” is the “quinta essentia” or fifth element, which is heavenly, pure and immutable unlike the mundane 4 elements of earth, air, water and fire.
“disaster” (like the equivalent concepts, “ill-starred” and “star-crossed”) comes from the idea that the alignment of heavenly bodies determines your fate. It originates in Italian “disastrato” where “dis-” is a prefix with the same meaning as in English and “-astrato” means “starred”.
Ominous (from Omen)
Ethernet - Intentionally chosen to hearken back to the luminiferous ether through which all electromagnetic waves were supposed to propagate.
I’m not sure I agree that any of these, except sanguine, are commonly used, but terms linked to them certainly are. . . Melancholy, cholera, phlegm, etc.
Anyway, that said, I got nothin’ else. The ones others have found though, are interesting.
Animal magnetism and mesmerized, from the theories of Franz Mesmer.
In that same family, “splenetic,” although that’s not so common.
I apologize for the nit being picked, but that’s a “parasitic”, and not bacterial, infection.
This is interesting because the name was coined well after the theory it refers to was debunked. I can’t think of any other term that fits that criterion.
Antediluvian.
Caucasian.
Interesting. How has that come to mean “the epitome of” ?
Its not relevant to the OP, but the paper quoted in the wiki article made the point that any affect would be cancelled out by electric lighting so could not be observable in modern society (hence why, as Cecil points out, there is no link between lunar cycles and mental problems nowadays).