Phlegmatic

At this time of year, there is a particular nagging sensation that crosses our minds... and our throats. Winter illness and disease can bring out the worst of us, and can also bring the phlegm out of us. So, why is it that the word Phlegmatic can be used to mean "Having or suggesting a calm sluggish temperament; Unemotional"?(AHD) Granted, it can also mean "of or relating to phlegm"(AHD), but where does this strange other definition come from?

Phlegmatic has its roots back in Greek, in the word "Phlegein", which means "to burn". It later morphs into "phlegma", which, while maintaining an association with heat, also refers to the classical humor "phlegm".(AHD)

A classical definition of humor, according to the trusty AHD, is "one of the four fluids of the body... ... whose relative proportions were thought in ancient and medieval physiology to determine disposition and general health." The humor phlegm, again by the AHD, was "One of the four humors... ... thought to cause sluggishness, apathy, and eveness of temper".

As such, when that root was used to form "phlegmatikos" in Greek, which was then adopted by Late Latin as "phlegmaticus", the word meant "full of phlegm", referring to the humor.(AHD) The poor word then passed through Old French as "fleumatique", but fortunately seemed to emerge on the other side mostly unharmed. However, this helps to explain our conundrum: Someone who is full of the humor phlegm would be considered sluggish, and even of temper, which is likely where this other definition of phlegmatic comes from: A medieval "doctor" declaring an apathetic patient to be phlegmatic: full of phlegm.

So remember, when the winter season rolls around, and your throat begins to fill with that uncomfortable feeling, that perhaps you have a reason to not go to class; you were far too phlegmatic to attend.