Disease
/dɪˈziːz/noun
A disorder or abnormal condition that negatively affects the body or mind.
Did you know?In Middle English, disease could mean distress, trouble, or discomfort of almost any kind before narrowing primarily to bodily illness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dis-
“Apart, asunder, or in two”
Classical Latin
Latin
dis-
“A prefix expressing separation, reversal, or negation”
Old French
Old French
desaise
“Discomfort, distress, or lack of ease”
12th Century
Anglo-Norman
desease
“Trouble, suffering, or uneasiness”
14th Century
Middle English
disese
“Discomfort, distress, or illness”
Modern English
English
disease
“A disorder affecting the body or mind”