Find out what the suffix -itis is

Some suffixes have their own meanings that can help us understand what is meant by a specific word. These additions to a noun or an adjective can form a new word with its own complete meaning. This time we are going to talk about what is the suffix –itis. In this lesson from a TEACHER you will know what its meaning is, how it is applied and some examples with meaning so that you can understand it correctly.

In other lessons from a TEACHER we have already talked about what suffixes and we have established a list of some of their meanings. Here we are going to focus on what the suffix –itis is and how it modifies a word when it is added to it.

As a summary, we can indicate that a suffix is ​​a morpheme or particle that is added to the lexeme or root of a word. It is always placed at the end of it and modifies its meaning. The different suffixes that we find in Spanish can contribute different meanings to a word.

For its part, we can find different suffixes, one of them and one of the most used is the suffix –itis.

This, as indicated by the Morphology, is a morpheme, of a tonic type and with a derivative character. That is, it joins the lexemes of the different words with the aim of forming new words that are independent. Words with suffix –itis are classified as feminine gender nouns. In other words, the words to which the suffix -itis is added are going to become nouns, so we can say that this particle functions as a nominalizing suffix.

We should point out that this suffix, although it is used in Spanish, its origin comes from the Greek. In this language it also functioned as a suffix and has its own meaning. Added to any word, the suffix –itis, both in its Greek and Spanish origin, means inflammation.

Thus we can point out, taking into account what we have already indicated, that when the suffix –itis is added to a word, it has a meaning related to inflammation. Due to their nature and meaning, words ending in –itis are often used, especially in the field of Medicine. In this discipline, the suffix –itis is used together with words that denote organs or tissues to indicate that they are inflamed.

In order to understand it in a simpler way, we are going to see how it is joined to words and how it transforms them into others. These become feminine nouns that indicate that the term to which it refers has an inflammation. So we could point to the word pharynx. We know that the pharynx is an organ of the human body, when it is affected by a virus or bacteria, it can be damaged causing different reactions in the body. One of them may be the inflammation of the tissues that compose it, making it difficult for it to function in our body. So when to this word we add the suffix –itis We would see that the following feminine noun is formed: pharyngitis.

The word is formed with the root faring- to which is added the suffix -itis, creating the word pharyngitis. Thus, the word pharynx, which refers to an organ of the human body, when adding this suffix, its meaning goes on to show that it is an inflammation of the same.

Now that you know what the suffix –itis is, how it is added and what it means. We have been able to see how words are transformed into others and how they are used, especially in the medical field. In order to better understand how they are formed and the meaning they have, we are going to show a series of examples of the suffix -itis to help you identify and understand them.

• Adenitis: Swelling of the lymph nodes.
• Tonsillitis: Inflation of the tonsils.
• Arthritis: Inflammation of the joints.
• Blepharitis: Inflammation of the eyelids.
• Bronchitis: Inflammation of the bronchi.
• Chondritis: Inflammation of cartilage.
• Cystitis: Inflammation of the bladder.
• Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin.
• Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain.
• Endocarditis: Inflammation of the endocardium.
• Enteritis: Inflammation of the intestine.
• Splenitis: Inflammation of the spleen.
• Pharyngitis: Inflammation of the pharynx.
• Phlebitis: Inflammation of the veins.
• Gastritis: Inflammation of the stomach.
• Gonitis: Inflammation of the knee.
• Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver.
• Laryngitis: Inflammation of the larynx.
• Myelitis: Inflammation of the spinal cord.
• Myocarditis: Inflammation of the myocardium.
• Nephritis: Inflammation of the kidney.
• Neuritis: Inflammation of the nerves.
• Otitis: Inflammation of the ear.
• Poliomyelitis: Inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord.
• Rhinitis: Inflammation of the nose.

These are some examples to understand what the suffix –itis is in Spanish. If you want to continue learning more about suffixes and other topics related to Grammar and Linguistics Do not hesitate to visit our sections where you will find more definitions and useful examples for your studies.