mononucleosis etymology

Etymology

• mono-: "single" (New Latin)
• nucleosis: "condition of having many nuclei" (New Latin)

Meaning

Infectious mononucleosis (IM) is a viral infection commonly known as "mono" or "the kissing disease." It is characterized by fever, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, and a sore throat.

Origin

The term "mononucleosis" was coined by French physician Édouard Longcope in 1920. Longcope observed that patients with IM had an increased number of large, immature white blood cells with single nuclei in their blood. These cells were later identified as atypical lymphocytes, which are the hallmark of IM infection.

Before Longcope's discovery, IM was known by various names, including:

• Glandular fever: because of the swollen lymph nodes
• Kissing disease: because it is often spread through contact with infected saliva
• Pfeiffer's disease: after German physician Emil Pfeiffer who first described it in 1889
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection: because EBV is the virus that causes IM

mononucleosis relate terms

• mononuclear

  Etymology The term mononuclear is derived from two Greek words Mono μόνο Mea

• mono

  Etymology The word mono is derived from the Greek word monos meaning single or a

• nuclear

  Etymology The word nuclear is derived from the Latin word nucleus which means core

• monophonic

  Etymology Mono Greek for single Phonic Greek for sound Meaning Monophonic r

• monotype

  Etymology The word monotype is derived from two Greek words monos μόνος mean

• monochrome

  Etymology The word monochrome is derived from the Greek words mono μόνο meani

• mononucleosis

  Etymology mono single New Latin nucleosis condition of having many nuclei New

• moon

  Etymology The word moon originates from the Old English word mōna which in turn co

• fever

  Etymology Latin febris Proto Italic febris Proto Indo European dʰbʰrós b

• disease

  Etymology Middle English disease from Old French desese from Latin dis aese not

• insidious

  Etymology The word insidious is derived from the Latin word insidiosus meaning craf

• grief

  Etymology The word grief derives from the Old French word grever meaning to cause

• context

  Etymology of Context The word context originates from the Latin word contextus mea

• stress

  Etymology of stress The word stress comes from the Latin word stringere meaning

• sheepish

  Etymology The word sheepish derives from the Middle English word sheepisch which is

• escrow

  Etymology The term escrow is derived from the Old French word escroue or escroe wh

• pupil

  Etymology The word pupil comes from the Latin word pupilla which originally meant t