1570s, "severe inflammatory infection of the throat," from Latin angina "infection of the throat, quinsy," literally "a strangling," from Greek ankhonē "a strangling" (from PIE root *angh- "tight, painfully constricted, painful"); probably influenced in Latin by angere "to throttle." Angina pectoris "acute, constricting pain in the chest" is from 1744, from Latin pectoris, genitive of pectus "chest" (see pectoral (adj.)). Related: Anginal.
late 13c., from Old French estrangler "choke, suffocate, throttle" (Modern French étrangler), from Latin strangulare "to choke, stifle, check, constrain," from Greek strangalan "to choke, twist," from strangale "a halter, cord, lace," related to strangos "twisted," from PIE root *strenk- "tight, narrow; pull tight, twist" (see string (n.)). Related: Strangled; strangling.
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "tight, painfully constricted, painful."
It forms all or part of: agnail; anger; angina; angry; angst; anguish; anxious; hangnail; quinsy.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit amhu- "narrow," amhah "anguish;" Armenian anjuk "narrow;" Lithuanian ankštas "narrow;" Greek ankhein "to squeeze," ankhone "a strangling;" Latin angere "to throttle, torment;" Old Irish cum-ang "straitness, want;" Old English enge "narrow, painful," Old Norse angra "to grieve, vex, distress," Gothic aggwus "narrow."
