The Visibility of the Aorta. Anatomical Ideas behind an Ancient Etymology (Aristotle, Historia Animalium, 3, 513a)

In the opening segment of the third volume of Historia animalium, Aristotle launches into a detailed description of the heart and the intricate network of blood vessels surrounding it. Central to his exploration is the mechanism by which blood is propelled from the heart through these vessels to nourish the body's tissues. Within this discourse, Aristotle grapples with the nomenclature of the major vessels now called the vena cava and the aorta. Aristotle recounts that some (philosophers or physicians) attributed the term aorte to that vessel's conspicuous visibility, which resulted not least from the sinewy-like material comprising it. Despite its significance, the etymological basis for Aristotle's naming of the aorte has remained largely unexplored in scholarly commentaries. This paper proposes a new hypothesis concerning the relationship between the Greek term aorte and the aorta's observability. This investigation encompasses both ancient linguistic conventions and medical-anatomical considerations that provide context for Aristotle's discourse. Specifically, I contend that the ancient etymology of aorte as alluded to by Aristotle can be understood as a verbal adjective derived from the verb horaō augmented with an alpha intensivum as a prefix. On the basis of this hypothesis, in the framework of the etymological explanations given by the ancient physicians mentioned by Aristotle, the aorta would thus designate the 'distinctly visible' blood vessel. This examination serves to underscore the usefulness of folk etymological inquiry for enhancing our understanding of the conceptual framework, categorization, and representation of ancient medical knowledge.