meningitis

The term 'meningitis' is a modern medical compound formed directly from Greek components to describe a specific disease. The first part, 'mening-', derives from the Greek word for membrane, mēninx, which was adopted into anatomical Latin to name the protective brain coverings, the meninges. The suffix '-itis', a staple of medical terminology, originates from Greek, where it signified a morbid condition, especially one involving inflammation. Thus, the word's construction follows a perfectly logical, descriptive formula: it names the affected body part (the meninges) and specifies the nature of the ailment (inflammation), creating a precise clinical term.

Structure: mening (membrane) + itis (inflammation) - mening: From Greek mēninx (genitive mēningos), meaning "membrane". In this word, it specifically refers to the meninges. - itis: A suffix from Greek -itis, denoting inflammation or disease. It functions as a noun-forming suffix indicating a pathological condition.