Laryngitis
/ˌlær.ɪnˈdʒaɪ.tɪs/noun
Inflammation of the larynx, often causing hoarseness or loss of voice.
Did you know?The medical term is formed with the Greek suffix -itis, the same ending that marks inflammatory conditions in words like arthritis, literally turning the body into a site of named affliction.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
λάρυγξ (lárynx)
“throat, larynx”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-ῖτις (-îtis)
“inflammation, disease of”
Late Latin
Latin
laryngitis
“inflammation of the larynx”
19th Century
English
laryngitis
“inflammation of the larynx, especially with hoarseness”