ailment
Meaning
An illness, typically a minor one.
Structure
Usage
She complained of a minor stomach ailment.
The medicine is effective for common childhood ailments.
He was absent from work due to a lingering ailment.
Etymology
The word 'ailment' is a transparent English formation from the native verb 'ail' and the borrowed nominal suffix '-ment'. The verb 'ail' originates from Old English eglan, meaning "to trouble, afflict, or pain," a term with deep Germanic roots. The suffix '-ment' was adopted into Middle English from Old French, which itself derived it from the Latin -mentum, a common suffix for forming nouns indicating an instrument, medium, or result of an action. Therefore, an 'ailment' is literally "the state or result of being ailed," a term that has evolved to specifically denote a physical disorder or illness, often implying a persistent but not severe condition.
Analysis
- ail: From Middle English ailen, Old English eglan (to trouble, afflict), of Germanic origin. - ment: A suffix forming nouns, typically from verbs, denoting an action, result, or state. From Latin -mentum.