Pernio

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɝnioʊ/

Definitions

1. A condition in which the skin becomes inflamed and swollen due to exposure to cold and damp conditions
2. An inflammatory reaction of the skin triggered by cold temperatures that causes redness, itching, and sometimes blistering
3. A disorder characterized by painful, red or purple skin lesions resulting from prolonged contact with cold weather

Etymology: Pernio is a medical term for chilblains, the itching, swollen, inflamed skin that appears on fingers, toes and ears after exposure to cold and damp. The word was borrowed directly from Latin, where "pernio" was used for the same condition. Its Latin ancestry is traced back through the noun "perna," a term that could refer to a ham or a joint of meat, and the reason for that link is not something the sources here explain. Latin "pernio" itself is built on that base with the suffix "-io," a pattern that forms nouns of action or condition from verb or noun stems. The word's older roots go back to Proto-Indo-European, but its story in English is simply that of a Latin medical term adopted into the vocabulary of physicians and writers who needed a precise name for a painful winter complaint.