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Glite Dictionary
encephalitis lethargica

encephalitis lethargica

9.9
A brain disease that caused deep sleepiness and severe muscle weakness during an epidemic in the early 1900s
  • noun
  • /ˌɛn.səˈfæl.ɪ.tɪs ləˈθɑr.dʒɪ.kə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : encefalitis letárgica
  • Cases of encephalitis lethargica baffled doctors during the early twentieth century.

Examples

  • Oliver Sacks wrote about survivors of encephalitis lethargica in his book 'Awakenings'.

  • What is encephalitis lethargica?

  • The patients afflicted with encephalitis lethargica experienced profound drowsiness and muscle weakness.

  • The outbreak of encephalitis lethargica was alarming.

  • During the 1917-1926 pandemic, many individuals suffering from encephalitis lethargica experienced severe muscle weakness and paralysis of the eye muscles.

  • The outbreak of encephalitis lethargica was characterized by debilitating symptoms that left patients feeling extremely lethargic.

  • Researchers studied the effects of encephalitis lethargica on patients, noting significant paralysis and weakness among those affected during the epidemic.

Synonyms

sleeping sickness
vsencephalitis lethargica
  • Archaic
3 7.2

A serious brain disease that makes people very weak and keeps some eye muscles from working

is the same disease but described with less extreme intensity
epidemic encephalitis
vsencephalitis lethargica
  • Archaic
8.6

An infection of the brain that makes people unable to move their eyes and feel very weak during 1915–1926 outbreaks

is the same disease but phrased as a single named type
sleepy sickness
vsencephalitis lethargica
  • Archaic
9.9

A serious brain illness that causes sudden deep sleep, muscle weakness, and eye paralysis

is the broader label for that disease without stressing the epidemic instance
lethargic encephalitis
vsencephalitis lethargica
  • Archaic
9.9

A brain disease that causes deep sleep, weak muscles, and trouble moving the eyes in the early 1900s

is the same disease but named more neutrally without causation emphasis

Surface Forms

encephalitis lethargica singular
encephalitis lethargicas plural

Morphology

encephalitis + lethargica

The phrase is compositional: 'encephalitis' means brain inflammation and 'lethargica' clearly relates to lethargy/sleepiness (a Latinized form of 'lethargic'), so the disease label literally denotes encephalitis marked by lethargy. Although it is a specialized medical term and the Latin form may be unfamiliar, a learner who knows the constituent meanings can readily infer the MWE's sense.

Etymology

Encephalitis lethargica comes from older words for the 'brain' and for 'sleepiness': encephalitis points to the brain being swollen and lethargica points to the extreme drowsiness patients showed. So the name describes the illness — a brain disease that made people very sleepy and weak.