Where does “acute flaccid myelitis” come from?

acute flaccid myelitis (English) comes from English acūte, from French aigu, from German akut, from Italian acuto, from Russian аку́т, from Spanish agudo, from Latin acūtus, from Latin acuō — sharp.

acute flaccid myelitis (English): A sudden onset illness of children causing loss of muscle tone and reflexes, weakness in arms and legs, which may lead to paralysis. The illness has an indeterminate cause and no known treatment

Definitions

  1. A sudden onset illness of children causing loss of muscle tone and reflexes, weakness in arms and legs, which may lead to paralysis. The illness has an indeterminate cause and no known treatment

Ancestry of “acute flaccid myelitis”, step by step

acute flaccid myelitis traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English acūte

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishacūteBrief, quick, short
2Frenchaigusharp, pointy; acute, keen, discerning; sharp,...
3Germanakutacute; severe
4Italianacutoacute; sharp; high-pitched, high, shrill
5Russianаку́тacute accent
6Spanishagudosharp, pointed, acute; acute, sharp, witty, keen;...
7Latinacūtussharpened, made sharp, sharp, having been sharpened
8Latinacuōto make pointed, sharpen, whet
9Latinacusa needle, a pin; bodkin; bran, awn, chaff
10Proto-Italicakus
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eḱus
12Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eḱ-sharp

via English flaccid

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishflaccidFlabby; Soft; floppy; Lacking energy or vigor
2Latinflaccidusflaccid, flabby, pendulous; languid, feeble, weak
3Latinflacceōto be flabby or flaccid
4Latin-eō
5Proto-Italic-ēōForms stative verbs, indicating a state of being;...
6Proto-Italic-ējō
7Proto-Indo-European-éh₁yetiThematicization of the athematic stative verbal...
8Proto-Indo-European-yetiCreates transitive imperfective verbs from roots

via English myelitis

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmyelitisInflammation of the spinal cord or of bone marrow
2Ancient Greekμυελόςmarrow; inmost part, marrow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱ-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱusEvery word from Proto-Italic akus