Aetiology:
The study of the causes, for example, of a disease. The word comes from the Greek "aitia", a cause + "logos", a discourse. Today in medicine the word "aetiology " is incorrectly used as a synonym for cause so often that it is fast becoming accepted usage, as in "the aetiology is unknown." Aetiology is the preferred spelling in some countries, including the U.K., whereas "etiology" without an "a" has taken over in the U.S.
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