Where does the word disease come from?
I guess after staring at it for a few seconds trying to guess, you may have already realized the obviousness hidden in plain sight — “dis” and “ease” — the lack of ease.
But why doesn’t the word simply mean lack of ease in general, instead of the narrow medical connotation it’s taken on? I hate to admit this…but I don’t know. There was no information behind the word’s journey available with a practical amount of investigation.
We do know that it initially referred to a broader sense of discomfort, and that the “restricted pathological sense of sickness or illness in English emerged by the late 14th century.” And “it wasn’t until the 16th century that disease was used to refer to a case of an illness, or to specific illnesses and maladies.”
Yet do remember that per official definitions, it can also mean “something that is very wrong with people’s attitudes or way of life, or with society.”
We’re all suffering from a palpable sense of helplessness right now because we feel unable to avert the continued, unprecedented spread of a new infectious disease.
However, there are diseases with non-medical backgrounds and jargon plaguing us too. Scores of people around the world rose up to protest this year against a particularly shameful one. And a specific few hundred million people will have the opportunity to address a catalyst of many such diseases with a simple vote in a few months.
The two meanings of disease are inextricably linked. Bad attitudes increase stress for many in society, and we know stress increases one’s likelihood to contract pathological diseases.
So, even as a frightening new virus with complex scientific aspects may seem elusive, there are plenty of things we can do to reduce stress, discomfort and pain for ourselves and fellow humans. Any act to reduce unease will surely also reduce disease.
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