Lactose Intolerance
/ˈlæk.toʊs ɪnˈtɒl.ə.rəns/noun
A condition where individuals cannot properly digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products.
Did you know?The term 'lactose' comes from the Latin word for milk, 'lac', and reflects ancient human reliance on dairy farming long before modern diets.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
lac
“milk”
Late Latin
Late Latin
lactosa
“milk sugar”
19th Century
English
lactose
“sugar derived from milk, discovered in the late 1830s.”
20th Century
English
intolerance
“inability to digest or tolerate a substance, recognized as a medical condition.”
Modern English
English
lactose intolerance
“the condition of being unable to digest lactose, officially termed in the 1960s.”