abulia

noun

abu·lia ā-ˈbü-lē-ə How to pronounce abulia (audio)

-ˈbyü-,

ə-

: abnormal lack of ability to act or to make decisions

abulic

ā-ˈbü-lik

-ˈbyü-

ə-

adjective

Did you know?

"I must have a prodigious quantity of mind," Mark Twain once wrote. "It takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up." The indecision Twain laments is fairly common; only when inability to make decisions reaches an abnormal level does it have an uncommon name: abulia. The English term we use today comes from a New Latin word that combines the prefix a-, meaning "without," with the Greek word boulē, meaning "will." Abulia can refer to the kind of generalized indecision that makes it impossible to choose what flavor ice cream you want, though it was created to name a severe medical disorder that can render a person nearly inert.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, probably borrowed from Greek aboulía "thoughtlessness, irresolution, indecision," derivative of áboulos "inconsiderate, ill-advised," from a- a- entry 2 + -boulos, adjective derivative of boulḗ "will" — more at boule entry 2

Note: The term was introduced by the German physician Johann Christian August Heinroth (1773-1843), in Lehrbuch der Störungen des Seelenlebens (Leipzig: Vogel, 1818), pt. 1, p. 347: "Formen der dritten Gattung: Willenlosigkeit; ([Greek letters] aboulia) §231 Erste Form: reine Willenlosigkeit (Abulia simplex)" ["Forms of the first variety: will-lessness; (aboulia) §231 First form: pure will-lessness (Abulia simplex)"]. Heinrothʼs citation of the Greek form suggests that he borrowed the word from Ancient Greek, though he could as likely have coined it on his own from the Greek elements, seeing that the word looks like a translation of German Willenlosigkeit.

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

单词	abulia
释义	abulia noun abu·lia ā-ˈbü-lē-ə -ˈbyü-, ə- : abnormal lack of ability to act or to make decisions abulic ā-ˈbü-lik -ˈbyü- ə- adjective Did you know? "I must have a prodigious quantity of mind," Mark Twain once wrote. "It takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up." The indecision Twain laments is fairly common; only when inability to make decisions reaches an abnormal level does it have an uncommon name: abulia. The English term we use today comes from a New Latin word that combines the prefix a-, meaning "without," with the Greek word boulē, meaning "will." Abulia can refer to the kind of generalized indecision that makes it impossible to choose what flavor ice cream you want, though it was created to name a severe medical disorder that can render a person nearly inert. Word History Etymology borrowed from New Latin, probably borrowed from Greek aboulía "thoughtlessness, irresolution, indecision," derivative of áboulos "inconsiderate, ill-advised," from a- a- entry 2 + -boulos, adjective derivative of boulḗ "will" — more at boule entry 2 Note: The term was introduced by the German physician Johann Christian August Heinroth (1773-1843), in Lehrbuch der Störungen des Seelenlebens (Leipzig: Vogel, 1818), pt. 1, p. 347: "Formen der dritten Gattung: Willenlosigkeit; ([Greek letters] aboulia) §231 Erste Form: reine Willenlosigkeit (Abulia simplex)" ["Forms of the first variety: will-lessness; (aboulia) §231 First form: pure will-lessness (Abulia simplex)"]. Heinrothʼs citation of the Greek form suggests that he borrowed the word from Ancient Greek, though he could as likely have coined it on his own from the Greek elements, seeing that the word looks like a translation of German Willenlosigkeit. First Known Use 1847, in the meaning defined above Medical Definition abulia noun abu·lia variants or aboulia ā-ˈb(y)ü-lē-ə ə- : abnormal lack of ability to act or to make decisions that is characteristic of certain psychotic and neurotic conditions
随便看	Large Black large bond large brown bat large buckeye large calorie large cane large coralroot large crabgrass large cranberry large crested tern large intestine large knot Large Magellanic Cloud large mononuclear leukocyte large order large paper edition large pole large post large tooth aspen large tupelo large twayblade large water grass large white large yellow ladyslipper large-billed water thrush

abulia

noun

Did you know?

Word History

Medical Definition

noun