Epilepsy
/ˈɛp.ɪˌlɛp.si/noun
A neurological disorder marked by recurrent seizures.
Did you know?The word was built from Greek epilambanein, and in antiquity seizures were often explained as a sudden divine or supernatural “seizure” of the body.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐπιληψία (epilēpsía)
“a seizure or attack; a condition of being seized”
Late Latin
Latin
epilepsia
“epilepsy, a seizure disorder”
Old French
Old French
epilepsie
“epilepsy”
Middle English
English
epilipsie / epilepsy
“epilepsy, a seizure disorder”
Modern English
English
epilepsy
“a neurological disorder marked by recurrent seizures”