Otitis
/oʊˈtaɪ.tɪs/noun
Inflammation of the ear, often caused by infection or irritation.
Did you know?The medical suffix “-itis” comes from Greek and literally marks inflammation, turning ancient anatomical vocabulary into a diagnostic naming system.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂ṓws
“Ear”
Ancient Greek
Greek
οὖς (oûs), genitive ὠτός (ōtós)
“Ear; of the ear”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὠτίτις (ōtîtis)
“Inflammation of the ear”
Late Greek / Medical Latin
Greek/Latin
otitis
“Inflammation of the ear”
19th Century
English
otitis
“A medical term for inflammation of the ear”
Modern English
English
otitis
“Inflammation of the ear, commonly classified as otitis externa or otitis media”
Explore more surprising origins