remittent
UK[rɪˈmɪt(ə)nt]US[rɪˈmɪt(ə)nt]
adj
(of a fever or disease) characterized by periods of abatement and recurrence.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
mitt
ent
re
again
mitt
send
ent
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word "remittent" is built directly from Latin components. The core is the verb mittere, meaning "to send," which is combined with the prefix re-, indicating "back" or "again." The suffix -ent forms an adjective. The literal sense is "sending back" or "releasing again." This was applied medically to describe a fever that "sends back" or temporarily releases the patient by lessening in intensity, only to "send" it again in a recurring cycle. Thus, the modern medical meaning of a fever that periodically abates and returns is a direct metaphorical extension of the action of sending something away and having it come back.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + mitt (send) + ent (adjective suffix)
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
- mitt: Latin origin, from the verb mittere, meaning "to send".
- ent: Latin origin, an adjectival suffix meaning "performing or being in a specific state".
Examples
The patient was diagnosed with a remittent fever, her temperature spiking every evening.
Malaria often presents as a remittent illness, with symptomatic waves followed by periods of relative calm.
Unlike a constant fever, a remittent one provides temporary relief before the symptoms return.