Vitiligo
/ˌvɪt.ɪˈlaɪ.ɡoʊ/noun
A skin condition that causes patches of skin to lose pigment.
Did you know?Vitiligo was named in Latin long before modern medicine, and its exact ancient sense is debated, but it likely referred to a pale or mottled skin condition rather than a mystical cause.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
vitiligo
“a skin disease causing pale or whitish patches”
Late Latin
Latin
vitiligo
“the same medical term, preserved in learned usage”
Middle English
English
vitiligo
“borrowed scholarly medical term”
Modern English
English
vitiligo
“a condition marked by loss of skin pigment in patches”
Explore more surprising origins