encephalitis (English)

Where does "encephalitis" come from?

The English noun 'encephalitis', meaning inflammation of the brain[1], is formed from the combining forms 'encephal-' and '-itis'[1]. The suffix '-itis' itself originates as a back-formation from the suffix meaning a disease characterized by inflammation[2].

Open questions

• The suffix component '-itis' is analyzed as a back-formation from words denoting diseases characterized by inflammation. [2]

Full etymology tree

• encephalitis (English), 'Inflammation of the brain.'
  • contraction encephal- (English), 'Alternative form of encephalo- (before a vowel)'
  • suffix -itis (English), 'Denoting diseases characterized by inflammation, itself often caused by an infection.'

Ancestors

• itis (English)

Descendants and derived words

• Australian encephalitis (English)
• autoencephalitis (English)
• cerebroencephalitis (English)
• Cree encephalitis (English)
• eastern equine encephalitis (English)
• encephalitic (English)
• encephalitis lethargica (English)
• encephalitogen (English)
• encephalitogenous (English)
• granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (English)
• herpesencephalitis (English)
• Japanese encephalitis (English)

Sources

1. encephalitis (English) - Wiktionary
2. itis (English) - Wiktionary

Updated September 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris