chikungunya

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/t͡ʃɪkʊŋˈɡʊnjə//ˌt͡ʃɪkənˈɡʌnjə/

noun

A viral fever caused by the Chikungunya virus, an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites.

OriginMakonde chikungunya →
First used 1952Scrabble 24
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Meanings

nounchikungunya (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA viral fever caused by the Chikungunya virus, an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites.First known use 1952

    Chikungunya infections are caused by an alphavirus from the family Togaviridae.

    2011, Franz J. Conraths, Thomas C. Mettenleiter, Chapter 13: Infectious Diseases Under the Influence of Changing Environmental Factors, page 256
    2 more examples

    Chikungunya and dengue arboviral diseases are in expansion throughout the world.

    2007, Didier Fontenille, Anna Bella Failloux, Roberto Romi, “Should we expect Chikungunya and Dengue in Southern Europe?”, in Willem Takken, Bart G. J. Knols, editors, Emerging Pests and Vector-borne Diseases in Europe, page 169

    The fever of Chikungunya is characterized by a rapid rise in temperature to as high as 40 C, often accompanied by rigors, myalgia, headache, photophobia, retro-orbital pain, sore throat with objective signs of pharyngitis, nausea, and vomiting.

    2010, Stephen A. Berger, Infectious Diseases of Zimbabwe, page 55

Origin

  1. Makondechikungunya“that which bends up”
  2. Englishchikungunya

Borrowed from Makonde chikungunya (“that which bends up”), apparently referring to the arthritic effects of the disease. See -kunja, a suffix related to bending. Compare Swahili kunja (“to bend, to fold”).

More words from Makonde

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 基孔肯雅熱 /基孔肯雅热, 屈公病
  • 基孔肯雅熱 /基孔肯雅热 (jīkǒngkěnyǎrè)a viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
  • 屈公病 (qūgōngbìng)a viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
Esperanto ĉikungunjo
  • ĉikungunjoa viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
Finnish chikungunya
  • chikungunyaa viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
French chikungunya, chik
  • chikungunyaa viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
  • chika viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
German Chikungunyafieber
  • Chikungunyafiebera viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
Hindi चिकनगुनिया
  • चिकनगुनिया (cikanguniyā)a viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
Indonesian cikungunya, flu tulang
  • cikungunyaa viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
  • flu tulanga viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
Italian cicungugna
  • cicungugnaa viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
Portuguese chicungunha, febre chicungunha
  • chicungunhaa viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
  • febre chicungunhaa viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
  • catolotoloa viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
Russian чикунгунья
  • чикунгунья (čikungunʹja)a viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
Spanish chikunguña
  • chikunguñaa viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
Urdu چکنگنیا
  • چکنگنیا (chikanguniyā)a viral fever caused by an alphavirus spread by mosquito bites
Cite this entry
APA

chikungunya. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chikungunya

MLA

“chikungunya.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chikungunya. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chikungunya,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chikungunya.

Source: chikungunya on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.