Origin and history of lemma

1650s, "projection of the celestial sphere onto the plane of the meridian," later the name of an astronomical instrument to do this (1660s), from Latin analemma name of a type of sundial known in antiquity, a word originally meaning "pedestal of a sundial," hence by extension the sundial itself. This is from Greek analemma "prop, support" of any kind, such as a sling for a broken arm, from analambanein "to take up; restore, repair," from ana "up" (see ana-) + lambanein "to take" (see lemma). As the name of a tabulated scale in the form of a figure 8, showing the sun's position and equation of time throughout the year, from 1832.

"recovery of strength after a disease," 1849, from Greek analepsis "a recovery," from analambanein "to restore, repair," literally "take up," from ana "up" (see ana-) + lambanein "to take" (see lemma).