English
lytico
Lytico may come from Spanish paralítico ‘paralysed’, from Ancient Greek λύω ‘loosen’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- ‘to cut off, separate, free’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewh₁-1‘to cut off, separate, free’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλύω2‘loosen’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπαραλύω3‘to paralyse’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπαραλυτικός4‘paralyzed’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEparalyticus4‘paralyzed, paralytic’uncertain
- Spanishc. 1500–presentparalítico5‘paralysed’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 2011lytico5
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek λύω, which cites Beekes
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek παραλύω
- 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek παραλυτικός
- 4 Wiktionary, Spanish paralítico
- 5 Wiktionary, English lytico
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2011, Carlo Colosimo, David E. Riley: “Often lumped with lytico owing to clinical, familial, and…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewh₁-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek λύω, which cites Beekes‘to cut off, separate, free’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλύωWiktionary, Ancient Greek παραλύω‘loosen’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπαραλύωWiktionary, Ancient Greek παραλυτικός‘to paralyse’uncertain
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπαραλυτικόςWiktionary, Spanish paralítico‘paralyzed’uncertain
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEparalyticusWiktionary, Spanish paralítico‘paralyzed, paralytic’uncertain
- Spanishc. 1500–presentparalíticoWiktionary, English lytico‘paralysed’uncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 2011lyticoWiktionary, English lytico. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2011, Carlo Colosimo, David E. Riley: “Often lumped with lytico owing to clinical, familial, and…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- ‘to cut off, separate, free’
so, lose, solution, solve, lease, sol, resolute, insoluble, loess, 28 more
through Ancient Greek λύω ‘loosen’
analysis, analyst, dialysis, lysis, 14 more
through Ancient Greek παραλύω ‘to paralyse’
paralysis, palsy, paralyze, 1 more
through Latin paralyticus ‘paralyzed, paralytic’
Today it means
noun A medical condition prevalent on Guam, or an aspect of Lytico-Bodig disease, which causes paralysis.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “lytico”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek λύω, Ancient Greek παραλύω, Ancient Greek παραλυτικός, Spanish paralítico. 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 *lewh₁- / lytico