Zwerchfell

German

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Zwerchfell

Etymology

zwerch +‎ Fell, where zwerch is an Upper German variant of quer (“crosswise”) preserved only in a few compounds, and Fell is used in the older sense of “hide” extended to a membrane.

The sense “seat of human emotion” was acquired as a calque of Ancient Greek φρήν (phrḗn).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈt͡sʋɛʁxˌfɛl], [ˈt͡sʋɛɐ̯xˌfɛl]
Hyphenation: Zwerch‧fell
Audio: (file)

Noun

Zwerchfell n (strong, genitive Zwerchfells, plural Zwerchfelle)

(anatomy) diaphragm
(anatomy) midriff
(figurative, literary) the seat of human emotion, the heart
(in idioms) the organ involved in laughter
Er hat mein Zwerchfell erschüttert
He made me laugh
(literally, “He shook my diaphragm”)

Synonyms

Diaphragma

Derived terms

Magen-Zwerchfell- (gastrophrenic, Magen)
Rippen-Zwerchfell- (Rippen-Zwerchfell-Winkel (Sinus phrenicocostalis, costodiaphragmatic sinus, costodiaphragmatic sinus)), Rippe, Winkel)
Zwerchfell-
Zwerchfellatmung (Atmung)
Zwerchfellbewegung (Bewegung)
Zwerchfellbruch (Hernia diaphragmatica), Bruch)
Zwerchfellentzündung (Entzündung)
zwerchfellerschütternd (erschütternd)
Zwerchfellexkursion (Exkursion)
Zwerchfellhernie (angeborene Zwerchfellhernie, angeborene, Hernie)
Zwerchfellhochstand (Hochstand)
Zwerchfellkitzler (colloquial) (Kitzler)
Zwerchfellkuppel (Kuppel)
Zwerchfelllähmung (Lähmung)
Zwerchfell-Leber- (phrenicohepatic, Leber)
Zwerchfell-Milz- (phrenicolienal, phrenicosplenic, Milz)
Zwerchfellmassage (Massage)
Zwerchfellnerv (Nervus phrenicus, phrenic nerve, Nerv)
Zwerchfell-Rippen-Winkel (Recessus costodiaphragmaticus, costodiaphragmatic recess, costodiaphragmatic recess)
Zwerchfellriss (diaphragmatic rupture, diaphragmatic
Zwerchfellruptur (diaphragmatic rupture, diaphragmatic rupture, ruptured diaphragm, Ruptur)
Zwerchfellschmerz (phrenalgia, Schmerz)
Zwerchfellvibrato (chest vibrato, chest vibrato)