Root of the Week: PATH (Friday)

FRIDAY  Idiopathic (adjective)

The Greek word-forming element “idio” means “one’s own” or “personal.”  A familiar English word using this morpheme is “idiosyncratic,” meaning “eccentric,” “quirky”—a characteristic or behavior unique to and characteristic of an individual.  When we use “idio” as a prefix with PATH, we get the word idiopathic, which might be translated literally as a disease that arises from the self. 

A disease or condition is labelled idiopathic when no external cause can be identified.  If there is no evidence that a pathogen like a virus or a parasite caused the disease, it may be classified as idiopathic.  Of course, this need not mean that no external agent DID cause the disease—only that no one has succeeded in finding such a cause. In short, idiopathic might be a doctor’s way of saying “I have no idea!”