encephalitis (English)
Where does "encephalitis" come from?
The word encephalitis is a medical term formed by combining the prefix 'encephal-', derived from the Greek for 'brain', with the suffix '-itis'. This suffix serves as a standard medical indicator for inflammation or disease. Together, they create a precise descriptive label for the condition defined as the inflammation of the brain.
Full etymology tree
- encephalitis (English), 'Inflammation of the brain.'
- compound encephal- (English), 'Alternative form of encephalo- (before a vowel)'
- compound -itis (English), 'Denoting diseases characterized by inflammation, itself often caused by an infection.'
Direct ancestors
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris