Cystitis
/sɪˈstaɪ.tɪs/noun
Inflammation of the urinary bladder.
Did you know?The suffix -itis is Greek for “inflammation,” and it’s the same medical ending behind words like arthritis and tonsillitis—an old linguistic pattern that turns body parts into a diagnostic spell.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kystis (κύστις)
“Bladder; sac; pouch”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-itis (-ῖτις)
“A suffix used to form nouns meaning inflammation of a body part”
Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
cystitis
“Inflammation of the bladder”
19th Century
English
cystitis
“Medical term adopted into English for bladder inflammation”
Modern English
English
cystitis
“Inflammation of the urinary bladder”