Ethics & Etiquettes in Medical Profession
Word ‘ethics’ is derived from the ancient Greek word ‘ethikos’ which in turn is derived from the word ‘ethos’, meaning – custom or habit. The dictionary meaning is: ‘rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good or bad’. The word ‘etiquette’ literally means the rules indicating the ‘proper and polite way to behave’. The word is originally derived from French word ‘etiquette’ which means ‘ticket’ or ‘label attached to something for identification’. This word was then borrowed by Spanish people (who altered it to ‘etiqueta’) to refer to the written protocols describing the order of precedence and behavior demanded of those who appeared in courts. Finally, English adopted both the word and its second meaning from the French.