Anepia

/əˈniːpiə/ noun

Definition

A medical condition where a person cannot speak or has lost the ability to speak.

Etymology

From the prefix 'an-' meaning 'without,' combined with Greek 'epia,' related to 'epos' meaning 'word' or 'speech.' This medical term emerged in the 19th century to describe speech loss.

Kelly Says

Anepia is different from aphasia—while aphasia means you've lost the ability to understand or produce language, anepia specifically means you literally cannot speak, even though your brain might be working fine.

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