英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

carotid (adj.)[carotid 词源字典]: 1540s, "pertaining to the two great arteries of the neck," from Greek karotides "great arteries of the neck," plural of karotis, from karoun "plunge into sleep or stupor," because compression of these arteries was believed to cause unconsciousness (Galen). But if this is folk etymology, the Greek word could be from kara "head," related to kranion "skull, upper part of the head," from PIE root *ker- (1) "horn, head" (see horn (n.)).[carotid etymology, carotid origin, 英语词源]
coma (n.1): state of prolonged unconsciousness, 1640s, from Latinized form of Greek koma (genitive komatos) "deep sleep," which is of uncertain origin. A term for "coma" in Middle English was false sleep (late 14c.).
narcosis (n.): 1690s, "state of unconsciousness caused by a narcotic," Modern Latin, from Greek narkosis, from narkoun "to benumb" (see narcotic (n.)).
swoon (n.): c. 1300, suowne, suun, "state of unconsciousness," probably from Old English geswogen "in a faint," past participle of a lost verb *swogan (see swoon (v.)).
syncope (n.): 1520s, "contraction of a word by omission of middle sounds or letters," from Latin syncope "contraction of a word by elision," from Greek synkope "contraction of a word," originally "a cutting off, cutting up, cutting short," from synkoptein "to cut up," from syn- "together, thoroughly" (see syn-) + koptein "to cut," from PIE root *kop- "to beat, strike" (see hatchet (n.)).

An earlier use of the word in pathology is represented by Middle English syncopis, sincopin "loss of consciousness accompanied by weak pulse" (c. 1400, from Late Latin accusative syncopen); compare Old French syncope "illness, fainting fit" ("failure of the heart's action," hence "unconsciousness"). The spelling of this was re-Latinized 16c. Related: Syncopic; syncoptic.
unconscious (adj.): 1712, "unaware, not marked by conscious thought," from un- (1) "not" + conscious. Meaning "temporarily insensible, knocked out" is recorded from 1860. Related: Unconsciously; unconsciousness. In psychology, the noun the unconscious (1876) is a loan-translation of German das Unbewusste. The adjective in this sense is recorded from 1912.
petit mal: "A mild form of epilepsy characterized by brief spells of unconsciousness without loss of posture", Late 19th century: from French, literally 'little sickness'.