Neurasthenia
/ˌnʊərəsˈθiːniə/noun
A historical medical term for a condition characterized by fatigue, weakness, irritability, and nervous exhaustion.
Did you know?Coined in 1869 by American neurologist George Miller Beard, neurasthenia became a fashionable diagnosis associated with urban life, intellectual overwork, and the pressures of industrial society.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sneu-
“Sinew, tendon, or cord-like tissue”
Ancient Greek
Greek
neûron
“Sinew, tendon, or nerve”
Ancient Greek
Greek
asthéneia
“Weakness or lack of strength, formed from a- (“without”) and sthénos (“strength”)”
1869
English
neurasthenia
“A medical term coined by George Miller Beard for nervous exhaustion or weakness”
Late 19th Century
English
neurasthenia
“A widely used diagnosis associated with fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, and supposed depletion of nervous energy”
Modern English
English
neurasthenia
“An obsolete or historical medical term, still used in some psychiatric and historical contexts”