# chikungunya

> English word · Noun · IPA /t͡ʃɪkʊŋˈɡʊnjə/ · frequency rank #75,721

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

## Etymology
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”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/chikungunya