Ailment is a noun meaning "a minor illness or bodily disorder". Historically, it is from ail (from Old English eglan, 'to trouble, afflict') + -ment, a noun-forming suffix of French/Latin origin. The visible construction is part of the etymology: ailment is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The modern meaning, "a minor illness or bodily disorder", follows the base word through the added English ending. The historical chain links Old English eglan with Proto-Germanic *aglijaną. Close English family members include ail, and ailing.