Definition of the word halitosis

The word "halitosis" is a medical term that refers to bad breath. It comes from Greek, where it was formed by combining the prefix "hale," which means "sour" or "cunning," with the suffix "-itis," which means "inflammation." When these two roots were combined, they resulted in "halit-itis," which translates to "inflammation of foul breath" or "bad breath." The term "halitosis" was first coined by a dentist named Harold Shear in 1901, who wrote a paper titled "A Study of Halitosis." In the paper, Shear suggested that bad breath was not just a result of poor hygiene but could also be caused by other factors such as gum disease and diet. The roots of the word "halitosis" have evolved over time. "Hale" comes from the Greek "hals," which was used to describe sour and fetid substances. This Greek root can also be found in words like "halogen," which comes from "hals" and "gennomai," which means "to produce." "Its" comes from the Greek "itis," which refers to inflammation. This Greek root can also be found in words like "arthritis" and "gastritis." Overall, "halitosis" is a useful and descriptive term, as it accurately reflects the medical condition that it describes. It has a clear origin in the Greek language, which has also provided other useful medical and scientific words.