English

quadriplegia

Quadriplegia comes from Ancient Greek πλήσσω ‘to strike’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *pl(e)h₂kyeti.

Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pl(e)h₂kyetireconstructed
Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλήσσωplḗsseinas πλήσσειν‘to strike’
Englishtodayquadriplegia

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pl(e)h₂kyetireconstructed
Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπλήσσωplḗsseinas πλήσσειν‘to strike’
Englishtodayquadriplegia

Formed from quadri ‘four’ + plegia

Italian Quadri

English quadri

The story

From quadri- (‘four’) + -plegia, from Ancient Greek πλήσσειν (plḗssein, “to strike”); probably patterned after paraplegia.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pl(e)h₂kyeti

planktonic, 7 more

through Ancient Greek πλήσσω ‘to strike’

plankton, apoplexy, 9 more

Today it means

noun Paralysis from the neck down.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pl(e)h₂kyeti / quadriplegia

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