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Glite Dictionary
Hansen's disease

Hansen's disease

2 6.4
A long-term disease caused by a germ that makes skin sores and harms nerves, also called leprosy
  • noun
  • /ˈhænsənz dɪˈziːz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : enfermedad de Hansen
  • Hansen's disease or leprosy
  • people with Hansen's disease

Examples

  • Oh, I'm sorry, Hansen's Disease.

    Blog text (1)

  • This technique was originally described in the 1930s by Dr. Joseph Kahn in patients with Hansen's disease (1).

    Academic text (1995)

  • Hansen's disease, also known as Hansen's disease, can lead to severe nerve damage if left untreated.

  • Many people around the world still suffer from Hansen's disease, and access to treatment is essential.

  • In many cultures, those diagnosed with Hansen's disease have faced social stigma and isolation.

Synonyms

leprosy
vsHansen's disease
  • Specialized
19 7.0

A long-lasting disease that damages the skin and nerves and makes muscles weak

is the eponymic formal name for the same disease rather than the common name

Surface Forms

Hansen's disease singular
Hansen diseases plural

Morphology

Hansen's + disease

The phrase transparently signals a disease (disease = illness) and the possessive proper name indicates it is a disease associated with someone named Hansen, so a B1 learner would grasp it refers to a specific illness named after a person. However, the specific referent (that it means leprosy) is not derivable from the constituents alone and requires prior knowledge, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The name Hansen's disease comes from a Norwegian doctor, Gerhard Hansen, who in the late 1800s found the germ that causes what used to be called 'leprosy'. Calling it Hansen's disease made the name medical and neutral, so today it refers to the same illness without the old shame.