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The combining form -lepsy is used like a suffix meaning “seizure.” It is sometimes used in medical terms.

The form -lepsy is based on the Greek ��ê���is, meaning “seizure, grasping” and formed from the verb ��������á�Ա𾱲�, “to seize.” This verb also helped form the Greek word ��辱��ŧ���í��, ultimate source of the English epilepsy.

One example of a medical term that features –lepsy is narcolepsy, “a condition characterized by frequent and uncontrollable periods of deep sleep.”

The first part of the word, narco-, means “stupor” or “state of drowsiness” (narcosis). The second part, -lepsy, means “seizure,” as we have seen. Narcolepsy literally translates to “a seizure of stupor.”

What are some words that use the combining form -lepsy?

• acatalepsy (via Greek ���첹�ٲ���ŧ���í��)
• catalepsy (via Greek katá��ŧ�������)
• hypnolepsy
• nympholepsy

What are some other forms that -lepsy may be commonly confused with?

• -lysis
• lepto-
• lipo-

Catalepsy is a medical term for when someone is unconscious and rigid. Based on the meaning of -lepsy, what is catalepsy generally characterized by?