It’s a pattern of language usage which casts more shadow than light, and, as far as I can tell, has absolutely no upside unless you can find some benefit to causing misunderstanding and confusion.
An upside is that their name acts as a hook to help remember what they refer to. Knowing that chronic fatigue syndrome is an improper noun, if someone tells me they have CFS I’m not going to think they’re literally fatigued all the time but I am able to remember which syndrome that is even if I don’t remember the exact definition. If someone tells me they have myalgic encephalitis… well, in that case I’d also be able to remember, but it’s not as easy.
I don’t think ‘chronic fatigue syndrome’ is a great example of what the post discusses because ‘syndrome’ is a clear technical (e.g. medical) word already. Similarly, ‘myalgic encephalitis’ is (for most listeners or readers) not a phrase made up of common English words. Both examples seem much more clearly medical or technical terms. ‘chronic fatigue’ would be a better example (if it was widely used) as it would conflate the unexplained medical condition with anything else that might have the same effects (like ‘chronic overexertion’).
An upside is that their name acts as a hook to help remember what they refer to. Knowing that chronic fatigue syndrome is an improper noun, if someone tells me they have CFS I’m not going to think they’re literally fatigued all the time but I am able to remember which syndrome that is even if I don’t remember the exact definition. If someone tells me they have myalgic encephalitis… well, in that case I’d also be able to remember, but it’s not as easy.
I don’t think ‘chronic fatigue syndrome’ is a great example of what the post discusses because ‘syndrome’ is a clear technical (e.g. medical) word already. Similarly, ‘myalgic encephalitis’ is (for most listeners or readers) not a phrase made up of common English words. Both examples seem much more clearly medical or technical terms. ‘chronic fatigue’ would be a better example (if it was widely used) as it would conflate the unexplained medical condition with anything else that might have the same effects (like ‘chronic overexertion’).