trauma — wound, physical injury.

…

The word “injury” originates from the Latin term “injuria,” which initially meant “a wrong,” “injustice,” or “illegal act.” This broad concept encompassed any violation of rights, whether legal, moral, or social. In medieval and early modern English, “injury” was used to describe various forms of wrongdoing or harm inflicted upon a person, including damage to reputation, property, or legal rights.

Over time, as legal systems and societal norms evolved, there was a need to categorize different types of wrongs more specifically. Physical harm to a person’s body was one of the most tangible and grievous forms of injustice, often requiring immediate redress. As a result, the term “injury” began to be closely associated with physical harm or damage. This shift was gradual and influenced by legal language, where “injury” became a standard term for bodily harm in both civil and criminal contexts.

The evolution can be attributed to:

1. Legal Usage: Courts and legal documents started specifying “injury” to mean physical harm, distinguishing it from other forms of wrongs like defamation or breach of contract.

2. Common Parlance: As legal terms permeated everyday language, people began using “injury” predominantly to refer to physical wounds or damage.

3. Medical Contexts: With advances in medicine, there was a greater focus on diagnosing and treating physical injuries, further cementing the term’s association with bodily harm.

Terms for Physical Injuries in Ancient Greek and Latin:

In both Latin and Ancient Greek, specific terms were used to denote physical injuries, distinct from words meaning general injustice or wrongdoing.

Latin Terms:

1. Vulnus (plural: Vulnera):

• Meaning: “Wound” or “physical injury.”

• Usage: Used to describe any physical wound or lesion inflicted by an external force.

• Example: In Virgil’s Aeneid, the term is used to describe the wounds of warriors in battle.

2. Laesio (plural: Laesiones):

• Meaning: “Harm,” “hurt,” or “physical damage.”

• Usage: Often used in medical or legal texts to refer to physical harm or impairment.

• Derivative: The term “lesion” in modern English medical terminology comes from this word.

3. Noxa:

• Meaning: “Harm” or “injury,” sometimes with a connotation of fault or liability.

• Usage: Used in legal contexts, particularly in Roman law regarding personal injury and liability.

Ancient Greek Terms:

1. τραῦμα (Trauma):

• Meaning: “Wound” or “physical injury.”

• Usage: Referred to physical wounds, especially those suffered in battle or accidents.

• Derivative: The English word “trauma,” used in medical and psychological contexts, is derived from this term.

2. βλάβη (Blábē):

• Meaning: “Harm,” “damage,” or “injury.”

• Usage: Could refer to physical harm or more abstract forms of damage.

• Context: Used in philosophical texts to discuss harm to the body or soul.

3. πληγή (Plegé):

• Meaning: “Strike,” “blow,” or “wound.”

• Usage: Often used to describe the act of being struck and the resulting injury.

• Derivative: The term “paraplegia” in modern medical terminology stems from this word.

Summary:

While “injuria” in Latin and its early English counterpart “injury” initially referred to general injustice or legal wrongs, the specific and tangible nature of physical harm led to a semantic narrowing. The need to address and remedy bodily harm in both legal and medical contexts made “injury” the prevalent term for physical wounds. In ancient languages, distinct words like “vulnus” and “trauma” were used to specifically denote physical injuries, highlighting the importance of precise terminology in addressing different forms of harm.