Etymology of homeric anatomical terms for the head and neck

SUMMARY: The search for the origin of medical terms used in every day practice has started since the distant past. Words that refer to the head and the neck can be found as early as in the Homeric epics; many of these have survived in some form in modern languages. Both doctors and philosophers have been concerned with the etymology of medical terminology in studies and dictionaries. This paper presents etymological suggestions for the anatomical terminology of the head and the neck as a useful aid to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon.