coma
UK[ˈkəʊmə]US[ˈkoʊmə]
n
A state of deep unconsciousness that lasts for a prolonged or indefinite period, caused especially by severe injury or illness.
Etymology
The word 'coma' entered English in the mid-17th century directly from the Latin 'coma', which itself was borrowed from the Greek 'kōma', meaning 'deep sleep'. The Greek term is thought to be derived from an earlier Indo-European root meaning 'to be weary' or 'to lie down', a semantic connection that logically underpins the modern medical state of profound, weariness-like unconsciousness. This etymological journey from a general concept of sleep to a specific, pathological state of unarousable unconsciousness illustrates the precision required in medical terminology.
Analysis
The word 'coma' is a simplex loanword from Greek. It is not productively segmented into smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern English spelling.
Examples
The patient remained in a coma for three weeks following the accident.
Doctors are trying to determine the cause of her sudden coma.
Emerging from a prolonged coma requires extensive rehabilitation.