Etymology

abulia

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Today it means: Absence of willpower or decisiveness, especially as a symptom of mental illness. Full definition →

First used 19th c.New Latin abūlia ← Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía) ← Proto-Hellenic *ə-
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*ə-
  4. Ancient Greekἀ- (a-)
  5. Ancient Greekβούλομαι (boúlomai)
  6. Ancient Greekβουλή (boulḗ)
  7. Ancient Greekἀβουλία (aboulía)
  8. New Latinabūlia
  9. English todayabulia

From New Latin abūlia, from Ancient Greek ἀβουλία (aboulía, “irresolution”), from ἀ- (a-, “without”) + βουλή (boulḗ, “will”).

First known use, by meaning

  • from 19th c. Absence of willpower or decisiveness, especially as a symptom of mental illness.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.