ataxia (n.)
often Englished as ataxy, 1660s in pathology, "irregularity of bodily functions," medical Latin, from Greek ataxia, abstract noun from a- "not, without" (see a- (3)) + taxis "arrangement, order," from stem of tassein "to arrange" (see tactics). It was used earlier in English in a sense of "confusion, disorder" (1610s).
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1620s, "science of arranging military forces for combat," from Modern Latin tactica (17c.), from Greek taktikē tekhnē "art of arrangement," noun use of fem. of taktikos "of or pertaining to arrangement," especially "tactics in war," adjective to taxis "arrangement, an arranging, the order or disposition of an army, battle array; order, regularity," verbal noun of tassein "arrange" (from PIE root *tag- "to touch, handle").
prefix meaning "not, without," from Greek a-, an- "not" (the "alpha privative"), from PIE root *ne- "not" (source also of English un-).
In words from Greek, such as abysmal, adamant, amethyst; also partly nativized as a prefix of negation (asexual, amoral, agnostic). The ancient alpha privatum, denoting want or absence.
Greek also had an alpha copulativum, a- or ha-, expressing union or likeness, which is the a- expressing "together" in acolyte, acoustic, Adelphi, etc. It is from PIE root *sem- (1) "one; as one, together with."
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updated on September 28, 2022
