Laloplegia
/ˌlæləˈpliːdʒə/noun
Paralysis or severe impairment of the ability to speak.
Did you know?The medical ending “-plegia” comes from Greek for a stroke or blow, preserving an ancient image of paralysis as something violently struck into the body.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
λαλέειν (laleein)
“To talk, chatter, or babble; the source of the speech element in laloplegia.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λαλιά (lalia)
“Speech, talk, or utterance.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πληγή (plēgē)
“A blow, stroke, or wound; the source of the medical element -plegia.”
19th Century
Medical Latin
laloplegia
“A coined clinical term for paralysis of speech.”
Modern English
English
laloplegia
“Paralysis or severe loss of the power of speech.”