Bursitis
/bɜːrˈsaɪtɪs/noun
Inflammation of a bursa, a small fluid-filled sac that cushions joints.
Did you know?Bursitis is built from the same Latin root as *bursa* (“purse”), because anatomists imagined these little sacs as pouch-like pockets tucked inside the body.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
βύρσα (býrsa)
“Hide, leather, or skin used as a bag or pouch”
Late Latin
Latin
bursa
“Purse, bag, or pouch”
Medieval Latin
Latin
bursa
“Anatomical term for a pouch-like sac”
19th Century
English
bursitis
“Inflammation of a bursa”
Modern English
English
bursitis
“Inflammation of a bursa in a joint”