What does catamenia mean?
Catamenia is a formal medical term for menstruation — the monthly flow of blood and tissue from the uterus. Borrowed into English from Greek via New Latin in the seventeenth century, it derives from the Greek katamenia, meaning "monthly things," from kata ("by, according to") and men ("month"). The word always appears in its plural form and typically takes a plural verb, much like its synonym "menses." Once standard in obstetric and gynecological textbooks — phrases such as "disorders of the catamenia" were common in nineteenth-century medicine — it has since fallen out of ordinary use. Modern speakers say "menstruation," "menses," or simply "period." Today catamenia survives mainly in historical medical literature and in the derived adjective "catamenial," which describes anything relating to or occurring during menstruation. Its interest lies largely in its etymology: it is among the rare English words whose very form encodes a unit of time.
nounThe menstrual flow or menstruation; the monthly discharge from the uterus. A formal, medical, and now somewhat archaic term for a woman's period.
- The menstrual flow; menstruation (a formal or medical term).
"The physician recorded that the patient's catamenia had been regular for several months."
"Nineteenth-century medical texts devoted long chapters to disorders of the catamenia."
"Her catamenia had ceased entirely during the months of extreme training."
Catamenia exists only in plural form, like "menses." It most often takes a plural verb, though singular agreement occurs in older medical texts.
"Her catamenia were regular until the onset of the illness."
"Catamenia" comes from the Greek for "monthly things" — making it one of the few English words that literally names itself after the calendar.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of catamenia
Catamenia entered English in the early seventeenth century from New Latin, which took it from Greek katamenia, meaning "monthly things" — a compound of kata ("by, according to") and men ("month"). It has always been plural in form, like its Latin-derived synonym menses. The related adjective catamenial developed later from the same stem.
Related word forms
How catamenia is actually used
Catamenia is a plural-form noun used with singular or plural verbs, though it takes a plural verb more naturally. It belongs to formal, medical, or deliberately archaic registers; in everyday speech it sounds dated or clinical, and words like "menstruation" or "period" are preferred. It appears mostly in historical medical writing.
Easily confused with catamenia
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs; despite the shared '-ia' ending and similar rhythm, catamenia refers to menstruation.