Medicine & BodyGreek → English
Dysphasia
/dɪsˈfeɪziə/noun
Partial loss of the ability to produce or understand language after brain injury.
The Greek roots
δυσ-
dys-
bad, impaired
φάσις
phásis
speech, utterance
Literally: “impaired speech”
The story of the word
Strictly the partial form of aphasia, which is total, though British and American usage never agreed on where the line falls and much of the world has now settled on aphasia for both. One letter separates it from dysphagia, difficulty swallowing, built on φαγεῖν, to eat. Two conditions that often appear in the same stroke patient, distinguished in writing by a single consonant, which is why careful units spell them out.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → medical coinage → English
- First recorded
- 19th century
Same family
aphasiadyslexiaprophecyemphasis
In a sentence
The dysphasia cleared over six weeks, though he still hunted for nouns.
Her notes distinguish expressive from receptive dysphasia on every ward round.