quadriplegia

The term is a modern medical compound, formed by combining Latin and Greek roots in the late 19th century. The first element, 'quadri-', originates from the Latin 'quattuor' (four), via the combining form 'quadri-'. The second element, '-plegia', derives from the Greek 'plēgē', meaning "a blow" or "stroke", which came to denote paralysis resulting from such a blow. The word's literal construction, "four-stroke paralysis", logically and clinically describes the condition of paralysis affecting all four limbs, a meaning that remains precise and unchanged in modern medical usage.

Structure: quadri (four) + plegia (paralysis) quadri (Latin, meaning "four", a combining form); plegia (Greek, meaning "a stroke, paralysis", a combining form).