Greek 'diabainein' (to pass through) — named for excessive urination, as if fluid passed straight through the body.
A metabolic disease in which the body's ability to produce or respond to insulin is impaired, resulting in elevated levels of glucose in the blood.
From Latin 'diabētēs,' from Greek 'diabētēs' (a siphon; diabetes), literally 'one that straddles' or 'one that passes through,' from 'diabainein' (to pass through, to stride across), from 'dia-' (through, across) and 'bainein' (to go, to walk), from PIE *gʷem- (to go, to come). The name refers to the defining symptom of the disease: excessive urination, as if fluid passed straight through the body without being retained. Aretaeus of Cappadocia (2nd century CE) coined the medical use. Key roots: dia- (Greek: "through, across
Aretaeus of Cappadocia, the 2nd-century Greek physician who coined 'diabetes,' described it as 'a melting down of flesh and limbs into urine.' The full ancient name was 'diabetes mellitus' — 'mellitus' meaning 'honey-sweet' in Latin, added centuries later because physicians diagnosed the disease by tasting the patient's urine for sweetness. This taste test remained standard medical practice into the 18th century.