lathyrism
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈleɪθəˌrɪzəm/
- Specialized
- Efforts to prevent lathyrism include educating communities about the risks of consuming toxic legumes.
Examples
-
Doctors identified lathyrism in several patients who had eaten large amounts of grass pea seeds.
-
The community held a health workshop to educate people about the risks of lathyrism from consuming certain legumes.
-
Cases of lathyrism have been reported in regions where certain wild peas are a dietary staple.
-
The symptoms of lathyrism include paralysis.
-
Can lathyrism be prevented through diet?
-
Consuming large amounts of grass peas over time can lead to a disease called lathyrism, resulting in muscle weakness.
-
In regions where the Lathyrus species is commonly eaten, cases of lathyrism are unfortunately prevalent due to dietary habits.
Surface Forms
Morphology
lathyrism = Lathyrus (semi-transparent) = lathyr + ism
Formed by the plant name Lathyrus + the disease-forming suffix '-ism'; the morphemic structure is regular but the botanical base is obscure to typical learners.
Etymology
The word lathyrism comes from the plant name Lathyrus, a kind of pea that people sometimes ate; eating large amounts of these peas can 'poison' the nerves and cause weakness or paralysis. So, lathyrism is the disease you get from eating those toxic legumes.