An inflammation or swelling of the larynx (voice box) that causes hoarseness or loss of voice.
From Greek 'larynx' (voice box) + the suffix '-itis' (inflammation). The term was formalized in medical terminology during the 1800s as doctors began understanding vocal anatomy.
When you get laryngitis, your vocal cords swell up and can't vibrate properly—which is why your voice sounds like a frog! Famous singers sometimes lose million-dollar tours because of this tiny inflammation.
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