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-iasis
- a noun suffix occurring in loanwords from Greek:
psoriasis.
-iasis
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of -iasis1
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Words That Use -iasis
What does -iasis mean?
The form -iasis is a suffix used to denote the names of disease or other nouns of state or process. It is often used in medical terms, especially in pathology.
The form -iasis comes from Greek -íasis, denoting the names of diseases. It is a common misconception that -íasis comes from the verb iâsthai, meaning “to heal,” which is the source of the combining forms -iatry and iatro-. Instead, -iasis is derived from the Greek verb ending -áein (also ân), with the initial –i– used as a connecting vowel, featuring the noun-forming suffix -sis.
Examples of -iasis
One example of a word you may have come across that uses the form -iasis is psoriasis, “a common chronic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by scaly patches.” Psoriasis comes from Greek psōríāsis, which uses the equivalent form of -iasis in that language.
The psor- part of the word comes from Greek psṓra, meaning “itch.” The suffix -iasis roughly translates to “itchy disease.”
What are some words that use the combining form -iasis?
- acariasis (using the equivalent form of -iasis in Latin)
- arseniasis
- lithiasis (using the equivalent form of -iasis in Greek)
- nematodiasis
- nephrolithiasis
- toxocariasis
What are some other forms that -iasis may be commonly confused with?
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