cellulitis
UK[ˌsɛljʊˈlaɪtɪs]US[ˌsɛljəˈlaɪtɪs]
n
A spreading bacterial infection of the skin and the tissues beneath it.
Morpheme Breakdown
cellul
itis
cellul
small cell
itis
inflammation
Etymology
The term 'cellulitis' is a modern medical construction, directly combining Neo-Latin elements. The first part, 'cellul-', derives from the Latin 'cellula', a diminutive of 'cella' (meaning a small room or storeroom), which came to signify the basic biological unit. The suffix '-itis' is borrowed from Greek, where it originally formed adjectives from nouns referring to body parts, indicating "pertaining to" or "connected with." In medical Latin, '-itis' was repurposed to specifically denote diseases characterized by inflammation. Thus, the literal construction "inflammation of the small cells" logically describes the infection's nature, as it involves the infiltration and inflammation of the skin's cellular connective tissue.
Analysis
Structure: cellul (small cell) + itis (inflammation)
- cellul: From Latin 'cellula', meaning a small cell or compartment. In this word, it refers to cellular tissue.
- itis: A suffix from Greek '-ῖτις', used in medical terminology to denote inflammation or disease.
Examples
The cut on his leg developed into a painful cellulitis that required antibiotic treatment.
Cellulitis often causes the affected skin area to become red, swollen, and warm to the touch.
Prompt medical attention is crucial for cellulitis to prevent the infection from spreading.