Where does “mononucleosis” come from?
Mononucleosis derives from Ancient Greek -ωσις (a suffix forming nouns of action or condition) combined with mono- and nucleus, which comes from Ancient Greek χρῶμα (color), itself traced to Proto-Indo-European gʰreu- and gʰer- (to rub or wear), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ken- (to scratch or mark).
mononucleosis (English): A viral infection marked by extreme fatigue, high...
Definitions
- A viral infection marked by extreme fatigue, high...
Ancestry of “mononucleosis”, step by step
mononucleosis traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English nucleus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | nucleus | The core, central part of something, around which... |
| 2 | Latin | nū̆cleus | (small) nut |
| 3 | Latin | nuculea | pertaining to a small nut |
| 4 | Latin | -eus | argentum + API → argenteus; ferrum + API →... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | -εῖος | Forms adjectives, usually with a meaning of "of"... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHwós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -wós | Creates adjectives from verb stems |