Abulia

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Dr. Goodword
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Abulia

Postby Dr. Goodword » Fri Apr 08, 2022 6:32 pm

• abulia •


Pronunciation: ê-bu-lyê • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, mass (no plural)

Meaning: A mental disorder characterized by a loss of will or the ability to act decisively.

Notes: The adjective is abulic and the adverb, abulically. A person suffering from this dysfunction is an abulic. The British prefer spelling today's word aboulia, keeping the original Greek stem intact (see Word History).

In Play: Medical abulia usually results from physical brain damage; however, today's Good Word has applications far beyond the hospital parking lot. My own informal research shows that shopping triggers abulia in some women and chocolate often has the same effect on members of both sexes. Few of us have escaped the effect of this affliction: "Mick Stupp completely succumbs to abulia when it comes to buying sports cars."

Word History: Today's Good Word comes from Greek aboulia "indecision", made up of a- "no" + boule "will-power." Boule is the noun from the verbs ballein "to throw" and ballizein "to dance", the root of which also shows up in English ball (a dance someone throws) and ballet. The original Proto-Indo-European word was gwel-, which came to English as quell via Old English cwellan "to kill, destroy" and German as quellen "to pour, gush". In fact, kill itself emerged from the same root. Devil is another word that made its way into English via this PIE word. In Old English it was deofol, an English revision of Latin diabolus, borrowed from Greek diabolos "slanderer", the personal noun from diaballein "to slander". This word comprises dia- "through" + ballein "to hurl", which is what Greek created from PIE gwel-. (Now, let's decisively thank Curtis Simple for suggesting today's Good Word and hope he will not lose the will to provide more like it.)
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Philip Hudson
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Re: Antonomasia

Postby Philip Hudson » Sat Apr 09, 2022 3:08 am

Do I really want to respond to this good word? What if I am too listless? What if I care nothing about whose drummer is beating what tattoo? I am just not up to commenting? :D
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

Debbymoge
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Re: Antonomasia

Postby Debbymoge » Sat Apr 09, 2022 4:32 pm

How did antonomasia get in this?
Abulia was the word, no?
I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.
Shakespear

Philip Hudson
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Re: Antonomasia

Postby Philip Hudson » Sat Apr 09, 2022 5:51 pm

Debbymoge: Perhaps we are all victims of abulia or antonomasia. The whole discussion has thrown me into a state indolence that I hardly care. I am alert enough to leave a few emoji. :lol: :D :roll: :mrgreen:
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

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Re: Abulia

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sun Apr 10, 2022 8:34 pm

My apologies. I'm not sure how this happened.
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Re: Abulia

Postby Philip Hudson » Sun Apr 10, 2022 8:53 pm

No apology required Good Doctor.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

Debbymoge
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Re: Abulia

Postby Debbymoge » Mon Apr 11, 2022 10:39 am

Good Doctor,
perhaps abulia was so indolent antonomasia felt the need to rush forward and take its place betimes?

Debby
I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.
Shakespear

Philip Hudson
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Posts: 2784
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:41 am
Location: Texas

Re: Abulia

Postby Philip Hudson » Mon Apr 11, 2022 4:34 pm

Perhaps so Debbymoge. I appreciate your using the word "betimes" in a correct way. I have heard and seen people use it incorrectly. It is a good word if one knows it's definition.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.


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