Encephalitis with meningitis is known as meningoencephalitis, while encephalitis with involvement of the spinal cord is known as encephalomyelitis. [2] The word is from Ancient Greek ἐγκέφαλος, enképhalos “brain”, [33] composed of ἐν, en , “in” and κεφαλή, kephalé , “head”, and the medical suffix -itis “inflammation”.

