antimalarial
Meaning
used to prevent or treat malaria
a drug used to prevent or treat malaria
Structure
Usage
the doctor prescribed an antimalarial drug before my trip to the region.
chloroquine was once a widely used antimalarial.
taking antimalarials is essential for travelers visiting endemic areas.
Etymology
The word is a modern scientific compound formed in English. It combines the Greek-derived prefix 'anti-', meaning 'against', with the noun 'malaria', which itself originates from the Italian phrase 'mal' aria' (bad air), reflecting the historical belief that the disease was caused by foul air from swamps. The suffix '-al', of Latin origin, is added to form an adjective. Thus, the literal construction 'against-malaria' directly and logically describes the substance's purpose to combat the parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
Analysis
anti (from greek via latin, meaning 'against'); malari (from italian 'mal'aria', meaning 'bad air', referring to the disease); al (from latin via french, an adjective-forming suffix).