2012-04-17

apathy

Well, ill again - all right this morning but by 2pm I was not well - temperature, unwell tummy, headache, and later a neck ache. Arrrg.

Whilst lying in bed this afternoon (yes, afternoon) I pondered the word "apathy". I was contemplating diabetic peripheral neuropathy (which they think I have in my feet) and realising that "pathy" or "pathos" is "ill" or "suffering"... So "at the ends of my body I have a suffering in the nerves due to diabetes" and realised that "apathy" must mean "no illness" like atom means "no cut".

And I failed English at school (like this is English!)

Well etymonline.com says this, so I was right. Apathy is not bad, it is good, it is "not unwell". If only I felt apathetic now!
apathy Look up apathy at Dictionary.com
c.1600, "freedom from suffering," from Fr. apathie (16c.), from L. apathia, from Gk. apatheia "freedom from suffering, impassability, want of sensation," from apathes "without feeling, without suffering or having suffered," from a- "without" (see a- (3)) + pathos "emotion, feeling, suffering" (see pathos). Originally a positive quality; sense of "indolence of mind, indifference to what should excite" is from c.1733.

1 comment:

  1. I'm married to a vet, hence I'm used to the whole 'medical terms only tell you what you already know, except in Latin' thing.

    See 'distal caudal oscillatory hyperkinesia'. Very common in dogs.

    ReplyDelete

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