Dear Deanna and Vocalisters:
An "itis" ending on any Latin noun for a part of the body means simply that the part of the body is swollen. Thus laryngitis is swelling in the larynx. Colitis is swelling in the colon, Appendicitis is swelling in the appendix.
The cause of the swelling can be attributed to many things: Infection, reaction from exposure to strong chemical agents, overuse, abuse, allergies, etc. Thus laryngitis is a description of a symptom and not a description of the cause of the symptom. The cause might be a viral infection but it might also be vocal abuse, or a strong whiff of an ammonia cleaner or a combination of any of these and other possibilities.
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