phalangiumn.

Etymology: < classical Latin phalangium a kind of venomous spider, a plant reputed to cure the bites of poisonous spiders (adopted as a genus name by Linnaeus: see note at sense 1b) < ancient Greek ϕαλάγγιον a kind of venomous spider, in Hellenistic Greek also a plant reputed to cure the bites of poisonous spiders < ϕαλαγγ- , ϕάλανξ phalanx n. + -ιον , suffix forming nouns (compare -y suffix⁴). With sense 1a compare Middle French phalangion (1554; < ancient Greek), Spanish falangio (1540–50 or earlier), Italian falangio (14th cent. in this sense), and also slightly later phalange n.² 1. With sense 2 compare Middle French phalangion (1562 in an apparently isolated attestation in Du Pinet's translation of Pliny), Italian falangio (1563 in this sense). French †phalangium is not attested until much later (1694 in sense 2, 1803 in sense 1b).In form phalangion after the Greek form. Compare the following, apparently isolated, earlier loan < post-classical Latin palangio (c1230–50 in the passage translated), alteration of phalangium: ▸ a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add.) f. 234^v Þe leues..heleþ þe bytynge of palangio [L. palangionis] and of atter coppes.