INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN O F BACTERIOLOGICAL
NOMENCLATURE AND TAXONOMY
Volume 6
No. 1
January 15, 1956
pp. 13-17
NOMENCLATURAL SIGNIFICANCE O F
-IASIS, -OSIS, AND -1TIS AS SUFFIXES
IN NAMING DISEASES
R . E. Buchanan
-*,
The Greeks named many d i s e a s e s , frequently by u s e of
t h r e e suffixes, - i a s i s ,
and.-+,
added to suitable
s t e m s of v e r b s o r nouns.
These Greek precedents have
commonly been followed to the p r e s e n t in the nomenclature
of d i s e a s e . F u r t h e r m o r e , there a r e , i n the l i t e r a t u r e of
microbiology, numerous examples of names of microorgani s m s (particularly specific epithets) derived f r o m the name
of the related d i s e a s e . Some uncertainty has been e x p r e s s e d
a s to the formation of the genitives of words formed by the
use of the t h r e e suffixes due to the fact that each has the
ending -&in the nominative; the f i r s t two have a s the genitive - i a s i s and -6sis, respectively ( s a m e a s the nominative),
but the third i
z
has as the genitive -itidis.
One finds
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but Salmonella enteritidis. A
brief review of the origin, meanings, and u s e s of these suffixes s e e m s desirable.
-
The Greek Suffix
-
L
~
O
-
L= ~
-iasis
Buck and P e t e r s e n , i n their "Reverse Index of Greek
Nouns and Adjectives" l i s t about 4350 Greek words with the
c c g = -sis.
Almost a l l a r e feminine nouns.
termination
= - i a s i s . The
Of these about 130 h a z the ending - L a a r c
Greeks derived these nouns frequently f r o m v e r b s having
the meaning "to suffer f r o m a d i s e a s e . " Some examples
may be given.
-
= lithia6 to suffer f r o m the stone;
= lithiasis the d i s e a s e of the stone
( u r i n a r y calculus )
~ U U O U ~ L & W= dysuria6 to have retention of urine;
8uuoup;aorc = d y s u r i a s i s dysuria
& h E T a v ' t L & w = elephantia; to suffer f r o m elephantiasis.
6 %E ya V T 4 a c r r g = elephantiasis.
AcQr&w
ht0iabrg
.
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P a g e 14
INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN
D
T r a n s l i t e r a t i o n of s o m e o t h e r s of the G r e e k names of
d i s e a s e s will show the c h a r a c t e r of this u s e .
c r i t h i a s i s a mange of the h o r s e .
alopeciasis fox mange.
t h r i c i a s i s a shivering.
h e l i a s i s sunstroke
bulimiasis suffering f r o m ravenous hunger.
scotodiniasis dizziness, vertigo.
nyctalopiasis night blindness.
hydropiasis dropsy.
m y d r i a s i s enlargement of the pupil of the eye.
h y d e r i a s i s dropsy.
s c l e r i a s i s a n induration of the eyelid.
p h t h i r i a s i s lousiness, pediculosis.
siriasis s u n s t r o k e .
s t e n o c o r i a s i s contraction of the pupil of the e y e .
satyriasis satyriasis, priapism.
pityriasis scurf.
o c h r i a s i s a turning pale, p a l e n e s s .
p o r i a s i s a c a l l u s on the eye.
p s o r i a s i s itch o r s c a b .
n a u s i a s i s qualmishness.
c e l e phia s i s l e p r o s y
gomphiasis toochache.
.
.
In general, i t is c l e a r that when used a s a n ending f o r the
name of a d i s e a s e - i a s i s m e a n s "a d i s e a s e c h a r a c t e r i z e d by
the p r e s e n c e of.
The diagnostic f e a t u r e may be the symptoms of t h e d i s e a s e (alopeciasis, t h r i c i a s i s ) , the p a r a s i t e
p r e s e n t ( p h t h i r i a s i s ) , a lesion of pathological change c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of the d i s e a s e ( p o r i a s i s ) .
Appropriately the suffix - i a s i s is added to G r e e k s t e m s .
Many names of d i s e a s e s have been f o r m e d by adding this
ending to the s t e m of the generic name of the c a u s a l organi s m . However, s u c h n a m e s may be of Latin origin. T h e r e
is now ample precedent for naming d i s e a s e s by u s e of - i a s i s
with Latin o r m o d e r n L a t i n s t e m s , a s f i l a r i a s i s f r o m f i l a r i a .
Names of d i s e a s e s ending in - i a s i s when u s e d i n specific
epithets a r e feminine nouns, to be placed i n the genitive.
They a r e i n the t h i r d declension.
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Page 15
BACTERIOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE
AND TAXONOMY
When transliterated into Latin form, these names a r e placed
in the corresponding Latin declension, a s psoriasis, -is.
The genitive and nominative forms a r e the same. S h o s d
one describe a new species of Mycobacterium associated
with leprosy, i t might appropriately be termed Mycobacterium celephiasis (the Mycobacterium of leprosy).
-
The Greek suffix
- WCrcq
-
= -&is.
About 900 of the Greek words which end in - g s (more than
4300 in all) have the termination - W D t g = -6sis. They a r e
feminine nouns. Here again, the Greeks s o m x m e s derived
these nouns from verbs having some connotation relating to
disease. A s examples:
auptyy6 0
= syringob to grow hollow, to end in a fistula;
, ‘ E 3 C = syringosis, -is,
- the formation
of a fistula.
-
oupcyygutc
X a A c c C & w = chalaza6 to have pimples o r tubercles;
-Xahcctwat5, . w e = chalazosis. -is tuberculousness.
-
-1
-
E;
e
tuberculosis ?
v apx&w
= narca6 to become numb;
= narcosis, -is, a benumbing.
-
v ’ a ‘ p x o a t ~,
-
Other transliterations of similar Greek names of disease
will illustrate
.
thrombosis a becoming curdled.
phalangosis ingrowing eyelashes.
phlogosis burning heat, inflammation.
rhytidosis a wrinkling , contraction.
lithosis hardening, a turning to stone.
peliosis a livid spot.
heliosis exposure to sun.
poliosis a becoming gray
theriosis a turning into a beast.
stranguriosis strangury, difficulty in urination.
nausiosis a vomiting.
rhacosis a becoming wrinkled.
anthracosis a malignant ulcer (eye).
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INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN
leucosis a white spot ( c a t a r a c t ) in the eye.
glaucosis blindness f r o m glaucoma.
s y r c o s i s u l c e r (like over-ripe f i g ) of the eyelid.
When used a s an ending f o r the name of an a b n o r m a l i t y o r
disease, - 6 s i s means ?'characterized by the p r e s e n c e of, I '
not d i f f e r i n g e s s e n t i a l l y in meaning f r o m that given by the
suffix - i a s i s . In fact, the Greeks in a few c a s e s used both
endings. The something p r e s e n t may be a symptom, a l e sion, an associated p a r a s i t e , o r some other c h a r a c t e r i s t i c .
While m o r e appropriately added to the s t e m s of Greek
has frequently been used i n the f o r words, the ending
mation of names of d i s e a s e s by addition to Latin or modern
Latin s t e m s , a s i n tuberculosis, brucellosis, l i s t e r i o s i s ,
and s a r c i n o s i s .
The Latin genitive of the name of a disease ends ( a s the
nominative) in -=s,
as in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (the
Mvcobacterium of tuberculosis 1.
-*
The Greek Suffix
-t
't
L 5
=
-*
In the Greek t h e r e a r e about 2400 words (nouns and ad- r 6 0 C = -is,
- -idis. Of
jectives) having the ending
these about 300 have the ending - ~ T C ,C - c T c G o ~ = - i t i s ,
-itidis. Many of these a r e feminine adjectives. Among
these a r e some derived f r o m the names of p a r t s of the body,
and used to modify the feminine noun v 6 u o C = nosus sickne8s or disease. F o r example, V . ~ Q O ~V E ~ P ? ' C L C = nosus
nephritis, diseaee of the kidneys, f r o m v ~ c p p b ~= nephrus
kidney. Generally, in r e f e r r i n g to diseases the noun nosus
was omitted, and the adjective was t r e a t e d a s a noun and a s
the name of the disease. A s stated by Buck and P e t e r s e n :
-5,
-
-
-
-
-
-=,
"An excursive group of this type consists of names of
diseases in
productive in international medical
nomenclature even a t the p r e s e n t t i m e . "
A s stated in Dorland's Medical Dictionary:
"The feminine form, -itis, i s so often associated with
inflammatory disease, that i t has acquired i n m o s t
c a s e s the significance of inflammation. I t
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BACTERIOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE
A N D TAXONOMY
Some examples f r o m the Greek:
yp<v
~
= p h r e n mind;
-
E V T, -T 1605
~ ~
= p h r e n i t i s , -itidis
inflammation of the brain, phrenitis
~
.
&,p@pov = a r t h r u m a joint;
u p 8 p T T t S , - L 6 0 g- = a r t h r i t i s , -itidis gout, a r t h r i t i s .
-
6; u p ,
--
f i n g ~ o= ~
h e p a r , hepatis the l i v e r ;
7 7~ aT ;T LC , - 4 6 0 s
= hepatitis, -itidis of o r i n the
liver,
hepatitis.
-
Among the many other names of d i s e a s e s taken d i r e c t l y
f r o m s i m i l a r G r e e k adjectives a r e :
sphagitis, -it i d i s s o r e t h r o a t .
s y r i n g i t i s , i t i d i s inflammation of the Eustachean tube.
splenitis, itidis inflammation of the spl,een.
blepharitis, itidis inflammation of the eylids
p l e u r i t i s , itidis p l e u r i s y .
nephritis, itidis n e p h r i t i s .
.
In forming n a m e s of d i s e a s e s f r o m n a m e s of o r g a n s o r
t i s s u e s , the ending - E s h a s come to be added not only to
Greek s t e m s (as i n g a s t r i t i s , s t o m a t i t i s ) but to Latin s t e m s
as well (appendicitis, s i n u s i t i s , gingivitis).
Names of d i s e a s e s i n m o d e r n Latin ending in - x s a r e
feminine nouns and have a s the genitive ending - i t i d i s .
SUMMARY
Names of d i s e a s e s with the suffix - i a s i s a r e m o d e r n Latin
feminine nouns with the genitive ending a l s o - i a s i s .
Those with the suffix - 6 s i s a r e a l s o modern Latin f e m i nine nouns with the genitive ending - 0 2 .
Those with the suffix -itis a r e modern Latin feminine
nouns with the genitive ending -itidis.
These endings, while m o r e c o r r e c t l y u s e d with G r e e k
s t e m s , a r e commonly added a l s o to Latin and to modern
Latin s t e m s .
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