Sunday Rest: zoonoses. Word Not To Use Today.

Zoonoses are infectious diseases which are transmitted to man from a different species of vertebrate (that is, an animal with a backbone).

Yes, some animal like a bat or a pig or a pangolin or a chicken.

The word zoonoses is a hundred per cent Greek, and there is, sadly, a strong current need for it. It's a good and necessary word.

So the only reason for disliking it is that it doesn't describe something altogether more lovable, like the snout of a tapir:


photo by Bernard Dupont https://www.flickr.com/people/65695019@N07

the trunk of an elephant:


photo by Rick Kimpel

 or the adorable snoot of a koala:


photo by Erik Veland

Still, the singular form of the word, zoonosis, looks fairly scary, and can in almost all circumstances be used as an alternative.

Thank heavens for that.

Sunday Rest: zoonoses. This word comes from the Greek zōion, animal and the Greek nosos, which means disease.