The loss of ability to move part or all of the body, typically due to nerve damage or dysfunction. Can also refer metaphorically to inability to act or function.
Greek 'paralysis' from 'paralyein' meaning 'to disable', from 'para-' (beside, beyond) + 'lyein' (to loosen). The medical term entered English via Latin in the 16th century.
The Greek root 'paralyein' literally means 'to loosen beside' - a poetic way of describing how paralysis loosens the normal connection between intention and action. The word captures both the physical disconnection and the profound frustration of a willing mind in an unresponding body.
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