Hemiplegia
/ˌhɛmɪˈpliːdʒiə/noun
Paralysis affecting one side of the body.
Did you know?The second element comes from Ancient Greek plēgē, meaning a blow or stroke, the same root that helped produce English plague and plaint.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*plāk-
“To strike or beat”
Ancient Greek
Greek
plēgē
“A blow, stroke, or injury”
Ancient Greek
Greek
hēmi-
“Half or one of two equal parts”
Ancient Greek
Greek
hēmiplēgía
“Paralysis affecting half the body”
19th Century
Medical Latin/English
hemiplegia
“Paralysis of one side of the body”
Modern English
English
hemiplegia
“Paralysis affecting one side of the body”