Diabetes Insipidus - Etymology

Etymology

The word "diabetes" ( /ˌdaɪ.əˈbiːtiːz/ or /ˌdaɪ.əˈbiːtɨs/) comes from Latin diabētēs, which in turn comes from Ancient Greek διαβήτης (diabētēs) which literally means “a passer through; a siphon”. Ancient Greek physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia (fl. in the first century CE) used that word, with the intended meaning “excessive discharge of urine”, as the name for the disease. Ultimately, the word comes from Greek διαβαίνειν (diabainein), meaning “to pass through”, which is composed of δια- (dia-), meaning “through” and βαίνειν (bainein), meaning “to go”. The word “diabetes” is first recorded in English, in the form "diabete", in a medical text written around 1425.

"Insipidus" comes from the French word insipide; from Latin language inspidus (tasteless), from Latin: in- "not" + sapidus "tasty" from sapere "have a taste" - meaning “lacking flavor or zest; not tasty”. This is because diabetes insipidus has no glycosuria (excretion of glucose into urine).

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