The original meaning of the Greek source of the word Diabetes was “siphon”, because people with the condition “pass water like a siphon”. The “water” passed was either honey –flavoured or flavourless; hence the Latin words “mellitus” (from mel; honey) and “Insipidus” (flavourless, tasteless.) So “passing water like siphon” is the event; mellitus and insipidus merely descriptions of the flavour of the water.