Leo 2: An epidemic of mumps

The the base word d em i c . epidemic The is

comprised of the prefix epi- plus former descends from the Indo-European ( I E ) r o o t e p i - w h i c h m e a n s n e a r, at, against.1 Other derivatives of this root i n c l ud e o b l a st (an a d m i n i st r a t i ve t e rr i t o r i a l d i v i s i on w i t h i n R u s si a a n d o t h e r f o r m e r S o v i e t r e p u b li c s ) , d u o p so n y ( a s t o c k -m a r k e t c o n d i t i on w h e r e i n t w o r i v a l b u y e r s e x e r t a c o n t r o l l i n g i n f l ue n c e o n n u m e r o u s s e l l e r s ) , a n d o p s o n in (an antibody or product of complement activation in blood serum that c a u s e s b a c t e ri a o r o t h e r f o r e i g n c e l l s t o b e c o m e m o r e su s c e p t i b le t o t he a c t i on o f p ha g o c y t e s ) . T h e b a s e , - d em i c , d e s c e n d s f r o m t h e G r e e k d e m o s m e a n i n g p e op l e a n d u l t i ma t e l y f r o m t h e I E r o ot d a - , t o d i v i d e . 2 O t h e r d e r i v a t i v e s i n c l u d e t h e w o r d s d e m e ( o n e o f t h e t o w n s h i p s o f a n ci e n t A t t i ca ; a l o c a l , u s u a l l y s t a b l e p o p u l a t i o n o f i n t e r b r e e d i n g o r g a n i s ms o f t h e s a me k i n d o r s p e ci e s ), d e m o t i c (o f o r r e l a t i n g t o t he c o m m o n p e o p le ; p o p u l a r ), de m o n , d a e m o n , t i d e , t i d i n g , a n d t h e c o m p o un d s d e m a g o gu e , d e m o c r a c y , e n d e m i c, p a n d e m i c a n d z e it ge i s t . T h e w o r d m u mp s i s t h e p l u r a l o f t h e n o u n mu mp me a n i n g a g r i m a ce . T h e O n l i n e E t y mo l o g i c a l D i c t io n a r y t he w o r d m u mp w a s originally a verb, "to whine like a beggar" (1580s), from Dutch mompen "to cheat, deceive," originally probably "to mumble, whine," of imitative origin. The disease probably so called in allusion to swelling of face during the disease and/or to painful difficulty swallowing.3
1 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dict ionary of Indo-European Roots, p. 23 2 Watkins, c. (2000), The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo -European Roots, p. 14 3 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=mumps Starling Hunter 2011 1

T H E M E S : T h e r e i s a d e c i de d l y p a t h o l o g i c a l a n d p e r h a p s

VIRAL

c h a r a c t e r t o t h e a b o v e k e y w o r d s a n d d e r i v a t i v e s. A n e p i d e m i c i s , o f c o u r s e a w i d e s p re a d o u t b r e a k o f a n i n f e c t i o u s d i s e a s e ( w h e r e ) m a n y p e op l e a r e i n f e c t e d a t t he s a me t i me . M u mp s a r e d e f i n e d a s a n a c ut e c o n t a g i o us v i r a l d i s e a se c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y f e v e r a n d s w e l l i n g o f t h e p a r o t i d g l a n d s a n d t h u s a d i se a se t h a t c a n c a u se a n e p i d e mi c . R e c a l l f u r t h e r t h a t o p so n i n , a d e r i v a t i v e o f t h e r o o t e p i - , ma k e s f o r e i g n ce l l s a n d b a c t e ri a m o r e s u s c e p t i b l e t o t he a c t i o n o f p h a g o c yt e s, w h i t e b l o o d c e l l s t h a t p r o t e c t t h e b o d y b y i n g e s t i n g h a r m f u l fo r e i g n p a rt i c l e s , bacteria, and dead or dyin g cells.4 A second t he me c o n ce r n s LO C A T I O N S or geographic and a d m i n i st r a t i ve r e gi o n s. R e ca l l t h a t o b l a s t , a d e r i v a t i v e o f e p i - , i s a n a d m i n i st r a t i ve t e r r i t o r y w h i l e d e m e i s a n a n c i e n t t o w n sh i p . O b v i o u s l y , a s t o r y i s i m p li c i t he r e a b o ut t h e i n v a d e r s , e i t h e r o f t h e b a c t e ri a l v a r i e t y t h a t t a k e s h o l d w i t h i n o n e h u m a n h os t a n d sp r e a d s a mo n g a p op u l a t i on o r r i v a l s o f t h e h um a n v a r i e t y t h a t i n v a d e a g e o g r a p hi c a l r e g i o n , p e r h a p s o n e t o w n a t a t i m e . A n d t he r e i s , o f co u r s e , r e s i st a n ce t o t h e i n v a d e r s i n t h e f o r m o f p ha g o cy t e s o r t he i r h u m a n a n a l o g s .

4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/phagocytes Starling Hunter 2011 2