Lepsy
/ˈlɛp.si/noun
A medical combining form referring to seizure or seizure-like episodes.
Did you know?Lepsy comes from the same ancient Greek “take or seize” family behind words such as “lemma” and “syllable,” linking medical diagnosis to the idea of grasping or holding together.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sl̥h₂gʷ-
“To seize, take, or grasp; the reconstructed root associated with the Greek word-family”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λαμβάνω (lambánō)
“I take, seize, or grasp”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λῆψις (lêpsis)
“A taking, seizure, or act of grasping”
Hellenistic Greek
Greek
ἐπιληψία (epilēpsía)
“A seizure or condition understood as being suddenly seized upon”
17th Century
English
-lepsy
“A learned medical combining form referring to seizure”
Modern English
English
lepsy
“A combining form used in medical terms involving seizures or seizure-like states”