English
alexia
Alexia comes from Ancient Greek λέξις ‘speech’, from λέγω ‘speak’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect, gather’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-1‘to collect, gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*légō1‘to gather’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέγω2‘speak’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέξις3‘speech’
- Englishtodayalexia3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek λέγω
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek λέξις
- 3 Wiktionary, English alexia
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leǵ-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek λέγω‘to collect, gather’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*légōWiktionary, Ancient Greek λέγω‘to gather’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέγωWiktionary, Ancient Greek λέξις‘speak’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέξιςWiktionary, English alexia‘speech’
- EnglishtodayalexiaWiktionary, English alexia
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- ‘to collect, gather’
election, collection, elite, logic, lesson, select, collect, eligible, apology, trilogy, sociology, elect, elegant, coil, terminology, negligence, legion, physiology, pathology, logos, analogy, negligent, monologue, diligent, prologue, negligible, pathologist, archaeologist, logistic, eulogy, leach, cull, etymology, epistemology, entomology, homologous, etiology, lignite, lignin, legation, 161 more
through Ancient Greek λέγω ‘speak’
technology, catalogue, astrology, epilogue, cosmology, gynecologist, dialectical, dialectic, dialogic, 19 more
through Ancient Greek λέξις ‘speech’
Today it means
noun The inability, due to a cerebral disorder, to comprehend or understand writing.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “alexia”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek λέγω, Ancient Greek λέξις. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- / alexia