What is the origin of alopecia?

Doctors use "alopecia" to refer to various forms of hair loss, including "alopecia areata," a sudden loss of hair in patches that involves little or no inflammation. It may surprise you to learn that the word ultimately derives from "alōpēx," the Greek word for "fox," but the connection makes sense if you think of a fox who is afflicted with mange, a disease with symptoms that include, among other things, loss of hair. Middle English speakers borrowed the Latin word alopecia, which comes from "alōpekia," a Greek term that can be translated as "mange on foxes."

Examples of alopecia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Another woman, Patti Johnston, 37, a stay-at-home mother of three in Idaho Falls, Idaho, said her alopecia recently flared up from anxiety. — Author: Daryl Austin, Anchorage Daily News, "Who is handling the pandemic best emotionally? Boomers and retirees.," 29 Sep. 2020 Others used the tweet to spark discussions about their respective alopecia or hair loss. — Aimee Simeon, refinery29.com, "“Who Needs Hair With These Cheekbones?” Ayanna Pressley’s Selfie Sends A Powerful Message," 4 Sep. 2020 In fact, research shows that more than 50% of women will develop androgenetic alopecia by the age of 80. — Kaitlyn Pirie, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need to Know About Hair Loss, According to Dermatologists," 3 Aug. 2020 In the months leading up to the decision, her 7-year-old son was diagnosed with alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. — Washington Post, "Virginia mom shaves head for son, goes viral on Tik Tok," 14 Mar. 2020 Traction alopecia tends to affect around the hairline where the baby hair and edges are located. — Janell Hickman, Allure, "How to Tell If Your "New" Baby Hair Is Actually Breakage," 22 Apr. 2020 Visually, the hairs are short and broken and can result in bald patches that can be misdiagnosed as ringworm or alopecia areata. — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, "6 People on the Reality of Living With Trichotillomania," 13 Mar. 2020 Makeup artist Camara Aunique — who runs her own line of lash-specific products designed for everyday use by women suffering from cancer or alopecia who may be looking for a natural-looking lash — recommends UOMA’s concealers. — Amanda Mitchell, NBC News, "Best black-owned beauty brands, according to black beauty experts," 28 Feb. 2020 The post also confirmed that Arroyo would be donating his hair to Locks of Love, a nonprofit charity that accepts hair donations for children that have experienced hair loss as a result of cancer treatments or alopecia. — Eric Todisco, PEOPLE.com, "Man Gets First Haircut in 15 Years to Join Army — See the Transformation," 19 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alopecia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for alopecia

Middle English allopicia, allopucia "hair loss," borrowed from Medieval Latin allōpicia, allōpitia "baldness, mange," going back to Latin alōpecia "bald patch on the head (from a skin disease)," borrowed from Greek alōpekía "bald spot" (Aristotle), "disease causing hair loss" (Galen), original sense perhaps "sarcoptic mange (affecting foxes and other canids)," from alōpek-, alṓpēx "fox" + -ia -ia entry 1; alṓpēx probably going back to dialectal Indo-European *h₂lōpeḱ-/*h₂lōpēḱ- "small canid, fox" (whence, besides Greek, Armenian ałuēs "fox") and *h₂leupēḱ- or *h₂loupēḱ- (whence Sanskrit lopāśáḥ "small canid [as a jackal or fox]," Middle Persian rōpās, rōpāh "fox," Khotanese rrūvāsa- "jackal," Ossetic (Iron dialect) rubas, ruvas "fox")

Note: An initial element *(h₂)lop-, close to the Greek, Armenian, and Indo-Iranian forms but with a short o, is apparently reflected in Celtic *lop-erno-, whence Old Welsh leuyrn, leuirn "foxes" (from *lou̯ern-ī with vowel affection; cf. Modern Welsh llewyrn, tân llewyrn "foxfire"), Breton louarn "fox," and Lithuanian lãpė "fox," Latvian lapsa. The long o in alṓpēx could perhaps be taken as a reflection of an original nominative *h₂lōp-s, but the diphthong in the Indo-Iranian etymon remains unexplained. The element *(h₂)lop- has been compared with *u̯l̥p- "small carnivore" proposed as the source of Latin vulpēs, volpēs "fox" (see vulpine), Lithuanian vilpišỹs "wildcat" and other words, but no unifying etymon can be readily reconstructed. If related, the set of "fox" forms are perhaps traces of a non-Indo-European Wanderwort acquired by Indo-European branches at different times and places.

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