pellagra
UK[pəˈleɪɡrə]US[pəˈlæɡrə]
n
A disease caused by a deficiency of niacin and protein in the diet, characterized by dermatitis, diarrhea, and mental disturbance.
Morpheme Breakdown
pell
agra
pell
skin
agra
seizure
Etymology
The word "pellagra" is a modern medical term coined in Italy. It was formed by combining the Italian word for skin, "pelle", with "agra", an Italian adjective meaning rough or sour, used here in a medical sense to denote a seizure or attack. The name directly reflects the disease's most visible symptom: a severe, rough dermatitis. This term was created in the 18th century to describe the condition prevalent among peasants whose diet relied heavily on maize, which is deficient in niacin, thus telling a story of malnutrition written on the skin.
Analysis
Structure: pell (skin) + agra (seizure)
pell: From Italian 'pelle', meaning "skin". Ultimately from Latin 'pellis', meaning "skin, hide".
agra: From Italian 'agra', meaning "rough, sour, seizure". Ultimately from Greek 'agra', meaning "a catching, seizure".
Examples
The doctor diagnosed the patient with pellagra after observing the characteristic skin lesions.
A diet lacking in variety can lead to nutritional deficiencies like pellagra.
The introduction of niacin fortification programs virtually eliminated pellagra in many countries.