Diabetes is the illness in which the body cannot control its sugar. Type one diabetes, live with diabetes, diagnosed with diabetes.
The two types are quite different diseases with one name: type one destroys the cells that make insulin and needs it injected for life, while type two is a loss of response to insulin and is far commoner. The Greek means a siphon, from the thirst and the passing of water.
1noundiabetesAn illness in which the body cannot control its blood sugar.
“Her grandfather has diabetes, so he injects insulin and avoids sweets.”
diabetes is an illness.
Greek diabetes means a siphon, from diabainein, to pass through, named for the thirst and constant passing of water.
Proto-Indo-European
*gʷem-
Ancient Greek
διαβήτης
Latin
diabētēs — siphon
English, today
diabetes
From Latin diabētēs (“siphon”), from Ancient Greek διαβήτης, from Ancient Greek διαβαίνω (“to pass through”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA