What is the word Leprosy is spanish

Question

What is the word Leprosy is spanish?

Answer 1

It is quite interesting, because the original term for leprosy was "lepra", and a suffix was added to name the person suffering the disease, but English somehow took the name of the disease, "lepra", and changed it to "leper" to name the person suffering the disease, and then added a suffix to name the disease.

Spanish has made less radical changes to the word.

I liked this answer and wished to vote for it. Somehow I received an unvote whatever that is. - mikecarroll, Aug 3, 2011

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gracias - mikecarroll, Aug 3, 2011

Answer 2

Leprosy (lepra) is a disease caused by an infection (primarily mycobacterium leprea) of the skin, upper respiratory tract, and (finally) the peripheral nervous system. It causes disfigurement and is most often fatal. The organism is resistant to treatment, even using potent antibiotics.

Leper (leproso/a) is the term used for an individual who has leprosy (lepra).

It is an ancient communicable disease that continues to exist in some portions of the world. Throughout history, lepers (people with leprosy) have been isolated from society and placed in communities with other lepers to prevent spread of the disease. To my knowledge, the only remaining leper colony in the US is in Louisiana.

I hope that helps.

Check Q's response on this thread for more detail. I just offered what I had been taught. :) - 0066c384, Aug 3, 2011

And that was shortly after the Hebrew Bible had been compiled....:) - 0066c384, Aug 3, 2011

Answer 3

(disease, not desease)

Leprosy = Lepra

Leper = Leproso/a

Answer 4

Off-topic since it has nothing to do with language, but in case anyone is interested in a more up-to-date description of the disease read this article.

When I grew up watching movies like The Robe or Hawaii where Leprosy was depicted it appeared to be the worst calamity that could befall a human being. I watched a documentary recently that changed that view considerably.

Leprosy is not particulary infectuous by touch. The doctor in the show when showing all the truncated fingers, etc. held the limbs without using gloves, etc. As the article and the documentary explains the disease only deadens the nerves in limbs and appendages. All of the missing fingers, toes, etc. are from injuries resulting from having numb members, not from the disease itself.

Leprosy is curable if caught early and treated. If not, it is still manageable with drugs. With treatment most suffers are no longer infectuous. Few deaths occur from the disease. Most deaths are from complications resulting from the disease.

While still a devestating disease it is certainly not the nightmare once depicted.

Leprosy

Motorcycle diaries is a spanish film that talks about some of this (che goes and visits a leper colony in Peru) - toothpastechica, Aug 3, 2011

Good post, Q! :) - 0066c384, Aug 3, 2011

Answer 5

Hello, Rylee, and welcome to the Forum.

Please note that this site includes a nifty dictionary translator. Give that a try, and let us know if you are not satisfied with the results.

Enjoy!

Answer 6

What is the difference between a leper and leprosy in spanish? I am trying to translate the word leprosy as a desease - "we are not sure what leprosy (the desease) would have been like" "we know that lepers were set apart from society"

Tooth, I posted a response below. :) - 0066c384, Aug 3, 2011