Mellitus comes from the Latin for 'honey'.

Diabetes Mellitus is a term often used to describe Type 1 diabetes or even diabetes in general. As we became exposed to the condition, the different names and types of diabetes was an initial source of confusion. Let us give you a little history lesson on the origin of the word and hopefully it will help to clear things up.

The term Diabetes is Greek and means ‘that which passes through’. It was originally used in the 2nd century to describe a patient of a Greek physician who was exhibiting the symptoms of excessive urination.

Later, in the 17th century, the term Mellitus was attached to the disease. This term has its origin in Latin meaning ‘honey’ or ‘sweet’ and was used to distinguish between those with sweet-tasting urine (diabetes mellitus) from those with urine with no taste (diabetes insipidus).

Today, the two predominant forms of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2 – are both considered forms of diabetes mellitus. As such, the term diabetes mellitus has become somewhat synonymous with the general term diabetes.

Confused? Don’t be. If you simply ignore the ‘mellitus’ at the end of the term you’ll basically be back to simply ‘diabetes’. Because the vast majority of people suffering from diabetes have a form of diabetes mellitus, you’ll be ok with this generalization.

Once you’re back to simply reading things as ‘diabetes’, then all you have to do is understand the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.