Amnesia is a medical or psychological condition characterized by partial or total loss of memory, typically memory for past events, information, or personal identity, due to brain injury, disease, or psychological factors. It can range from transient memory gaps to persistent, long-term memory impairment, including anterograde or retrograde forms.
"The patient’s amnesia made it difficult to recall important dates and names."
"After the concussion, she developed temporary amnesia about the accident."
"The detective faced amnesia regarding events on the night of the crime."
"Some patients recover memory over time, while others experience lasting amnesia and memory gaps."
Amnesia comes from the Greek prefix a- meaning 'without' and mnēsis meaning 'memory', from mnasthai 'to remember'. The term entered English via late 18th-century medical usage, reflecting the then-emerging field of neurology and psychology. Its etymology traces to the classical Greek language, where mnēsis is tied to memory and recollection, with a- as a negating prefix. Historically, amnesia was discussed in medical texts concerning injuries or diseases that disrupt memory circuits, particularly in relation to lesions in the temporal lobe, hippocampus, and limbic system. Over time, the concept broadened to include varied memory disturbances, including transient episodes following shock or trauma, as well as psychiatric conditions. In modern usage, amnesia encompasses several forms (retrograde, anterograde, dissociative) and is a central term in neurology, psychiatry, and cognitive psychology, often featured in clinical case studies and popular media representations.
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Words that rhyme with "Amnesia"
-sia sounds
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Amnesia is pronounced with four sounds: /ˌæmˈniː.zi.ə/. The primary stress is on the second syllable: am-NEE-zia. Start with /æ/ as in 'cat', then /m/ with a closed mouth, followed by a long /iː/ in the second syllable; end with /zə/ where the 'z' is voiced and the final schwa is soft. Think 'am-NEE-zee-uh' in flow. For audio reference, listen to medical pronunciation guides or dictionary audio entries.
Common mistakes include compressing the middle vowel to a short /ɪ/ (saying am-NI-zhuh) and misplacing stress (AM-nee-sia). Also, some learners flatten the final schwa, giving /-ziə/ as /-zi/. Correct by prolonging the /iː/ in the second syllable and maintaining a light, unstressed final /ə/. Practice the sequence: /æm/ + /ˈniː/ + /zjə/ with a clear /z/ before the schwa.
In US and UK accents, the second syllable bears primary stress: /ˌæmˈniː.zi.ə/. The vowel quality is a clear long /iː/; the final -ia is reduced to /-jiə/ in many speakers’ fast speech. Australian English mirrors these patterns but often with a softer vowel in the second syllable and a more centralized final syllable due to Australian vowel reduction. rhoticity does not strongly affect this word; the /r/ is not present.
The difficulty lies in the multisyllabic rhythm and the subtle vowel length in /ˈniː/ and the final unstressed /ə/. Non-native speakers commonly misplace stress or shorten the long /iː/ to /ɪ/. Also, the sequence /mˈniː/ can invite a glide or vowel reduction that changes the word’s rhythm. Focus on keeping the second syllable long and maintaining the /z/ before the final syllable, rather than a hard consonant followed by a strong vowel.
Yes—stress is crucial: the secondary syllable carries the strongest emphasis, so you say am-NEE-zia, not AM-NEE-zie-uh. The sequence /niː/ followed by /zi/ requires a light, voiced /z/ before a soft /ə/. The final syllable is weakly stressed and quick, so avoid drawing it out. Mastery comes from practicing the transition from the long /iː/ to the /z/ and then to the unstressed /ə/.
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