The Root of Care

Cure comes from the Latin word for care.

The English word cure comes from Latin cura: care, concern, attention, by way of curare, “to take care of.” Cure went on a surprising journey. According to Merriam-Webster, its earliest use in English was for the care of something spiritual (a priest’s parish was his “cure”). The healing meaning came later.

Our word care took a different road. It’s Germanic, from Old English caru, which meant sorrow or anxiety. So cure and care arrived at the same place from different directions.

But cura didn’t stop there.

My favorite is accurate. Ad plus curare, meaning done with care. For the Romans, getting it right wasn’t a separate skill. It was what care looked like when it was done.

Medicine kept the word cure and designed out the time a physician needs to give care. The industry filled the gap with programs: a hub, a nurse line, a co-pay card. The patient is left feeling that something is missing. When patients turn to complementary medicine for attention, that’s a signal. When they turn to influencers for it, that’s a warning.

The attention got designed out. It can be designed back in.

Where did the attention go in your last launch?