lung-cancer
Meaning
A disease in which cells in the tissues of the lung grow uncontrollably and form tumors.
Structure
Usage
Smoking is the leading cause of lung-cancer.
Early detection of lung-cancer can significantly improve treatment outcomes.
The patient underwent surgery to remove the lung-cancer tumor.
Etymology
The compound 'lung-cancer' is a transparent modern English formation, directly combining the name of the organ with the name of the disease. 'Lung' descends from the Old English lungen, related to the Proto-Germanic root for 'the light organ', reflecting its relatively low density. 'Cancer' entered English via Latin, where it originally meant 'crab'. The Greek physician Galen noted that the swollen veins around some tumors resembled a crab's limbs, a metaphorical link that gave the word its medical meaning. Thus, 'lung-cancer' literally and logically denotes a cancerous disease originating in the lungs.
Analysis
lung: Origin: Old English lungen. Functional role: The specific organ affected. cancer: Origin: Latin cancer (crab, malignant tumor). Functional role: The type of disease, a malignant growth.