Aggrammatism

/ægˈræmətɪzəm/ noun

Definition

A speech disorder characterized by inability to use or understand grammar correctly, particularly loss of grammatical ability due to brain injury.

Etymology

From Greek 'a-' (without) and 'grammata' (letters, writing), combined with the suffix '-ism'. Developed in medical and neurological terminology in the 19th century.

Kelly Says

Brain injuries to Broca's area can cause aggrammatism where people lose the ability to construct sentences—they might say 'cat eat food' instead of 'the cat eats food,' even though they understand meaning.

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