Calcemia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A health condition where the concentration of calcium in the blood surpasses normal limits, often due to hormonal imbalances or nutritional causes
2. An abnormal state in which the calcium levels in the bloodstream are elevated, usually connected to various diseases or metabolic disorders
3. A medical condition characterized by excessive calcium levels in the blood, which can result from various factors including hormonal changes or underlying diseases

Etymology: Calcemia is built from two parts that are both easy to trace. The first, "calc-", comes from the Latin "calx," meaning lime or limestone, the same root behind "calcium" itself. The second, "-emia," comes from the Greek "haima," meaning blood, and appears in medical terms such as anemia and leukemia. Put together, the word names a condition of the blood, specifically one in which calcium levels are too high. The word is a modern scientific coinage, formed from classical elements rather than inherited from ancient Greek or Latin speakers, who had no concept of blood calcium to name. It follows the same pattern as other medical terms that pair a substance with "-emia," such as "glycemia" for sugar in the blood.