Intended for healthcare professionals

Filler When I use a word

Wholly, holy, holey

BMJ 2003; 326 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7385.392 (Published 15 February 2003) Cite this as: BMJ 2003;326:392
  1. Jeff Aronson, clinical pharmacologist
  1. Oxford

    The Greek word oλoς (holos) means entire or whole. Now you might think that the English word whole has the same origin, but you would be wrong.

    The Greek oλoς comes from an Indo-European root SOLO, meaning whole, firm, sound, or correct. A holograph is written entirely in one's own hand, and a holocaust was originally the burning of a whole body, before it came to mean the destruction of a whole nation. Catholic (from the Greek κατα, throughout) means throughout the whole …

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