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therapeuein

Therapeuein, transliterated from the Greek θεραπεύειν, is a Greek verb meaning to heal, cure, or treat; to attend to or nurse someone; to serve as a caregiver. In English, related terms such as therapy and therapist derive from the same root through Latin and French.

The root therapeu- appears in several Greek words connected with healing and service. Nouns such as therapeutéia

In classical Greek literature, therapeuein is used in medical and philosophical texts to describe acts of healing,

In modern usage, θεραπεύω means to heal or treat, and θεραπεία means therapy or medical treatment in contemporary

(therapy)
and
thérapeutes
(attendant,
servant)
reflect
the
idea
of
providing
care.
The
term
historically
encompassed
medical
treatment
as
well
as
acts
of
nursing
and
service
to
patients,
and
in
some
contexts
could
also
extend
to
the
care
of
the
divine
or
ritual
service
in
religious
settings.
curation,
and
care.
Physicians
and
nurses
were
described
as
therapeuts,
those
who
attend
to
the
ill
or
to
the
sick.
Beyond
bodily
healing,
the
verb
could
also
denote
the
curing
of
the
soul
or
the
improvement
of
a
person’s
character
or
condition
through
philosophy,
education,
or
spiritual
guidance.
This
broader
sense
of
“healing”
is
reflected
in
later
uses
of
related
terms
in
medical
and
ethical
discussions.
Greek.
In
English
and
other
languages,
therapeuein
is
primarily
encountered
in
historical
or
linguistic
contexts,
with
the
everyday
sense
expressed
by
the
derived
words
therapy
and
therapeutic.