'dyspnoea' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'duspnoia' (Greek 'δυσπνοια'), where the prefix 'dys-' meant 'bad' or 'difficult' and 'pnoē' meant 'breath'.

'dyspnoea' changed from Greek 'duspnoia' into Late Latin/New Latin 'dyspnoea' and then entered English (via Medieval/Modern Latin) as 'dyspnoea'.

Initially, it meant 'difficulty of breathing', and over time this general meaning has been preserved as the modern sense 'difficulty or laboured breathing'.