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Alpine scurvy

Alpine scurvy

9.9
A disease from lack of some nutrients causing skin redness, stomach pain, and memory or mood problems
  • noun
  • /ˈælpaɪn ˈskɜrvi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : escorbuto alpino
  • Symptoms of Alpine scurvy include skin redness, digestive issues, and sometimes mental changes.

Examples

  • The mountaineering team suffered from Alpine scurvy due to inadequate nutrition during their expedition.

  • Chronic alcoholism is one of the risk factors for developing Alpine scurvy.

  • Patients suffering from Alpine scurvy often experience severe fatigue.

  • The doctor diagnosed him with Alpine scurvy after reviewing his symptoms.

  • Chronic alcoholism is one of the risk factors for developing Alpine scurvy.

  • Symptoms of Alpine scurvy include skin redness, digestive issues, and sometimes mental changes.

  • The mountaineering team suffered from Alpine scurvy due to inadequate nutrition during their expedition.

Synonyms

pellagra
vsAlpine scurvy
  • Specialized
3 9.9

A disease from not having enough vitamin B3 that causes skin, stomach, and mental problems

is the same illness but called differently in some regions
Saint Ignatius' itch
vsAlpine scurvy
  • Archaic
9.9

A disease from not having enough vitamin niacin that causes skin, stomach, and nerve problems

is the same disease but a different historical or regional label
mal rosso
vsAlpine scurvy
  • Specialized
9.9

A disease from lack of vitamin B3 that causes skin sores, stomach pain, and mental problems

is the same condition but known under other regional forms

Surface Forms

Alpine scurvy singular

Morphology

alpine + scurvy

The noun phrase is compositionally straightforward: 'alpine' modifies 'scurvy', so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a form of scurvy associated with high-mountain (Alpine) contexts. This follows regular adjective+noun composition and is cross-linguistically common, so the meaning is immediately predictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

The term Alpine scurvy may come from images of mountain travellers who, after long trips with little fresh food, showed red skin, stomach trouble and confusion that people compared to scurvy. That's why Alpine scurvy now means 'a disease from a lack of certain nutrients' that causes skin, digestion and mental problems.