Timeline for What is the historical/etymological connection between nerves and the litany of expressions pertaining to anxiety, agitation, and audacity?
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| Jul 2, 2020 at 0:17 | comment | added | livresque | @COTO To the extent that having a uterus is a neurological condition. | |
| Jul 1, 2020 at 23:33 | comment | added | COTO | Yes. Unfortunately the OED doesn't provide any explanation of the linkage except "Latin nervus also had a figurative sense of 'vigor, force, power, strength,' as did Greek neuron," which "developed from meaning 'strength, vigor; force, energy' (c. 1600), from the 'sinew' sense". Hence it suggests that nerves and tendons/sinews were considered interchangeable in antiquity, sinews symbolized strength, and so nerves eventually came to symbolize strength or audacity. But then how do we make the leap to "condition of hysterical nervousness"? Was hysteria considered a neurological condition? | |
| Jul 1, 2020 at 19:42 | history | edited | user 66974 | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
added 406 characters in body
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| Jul 1, 2020 at 19:36 | history | answered | user 66974 | CC BY-SA 4.0 |