Alexic

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Characterizing a condition related to the inability to read or comprehend written language
2. Pertaining to a neurological disorder that affects reading abilities
3. Describing a deficiency or impairment in reading skills, often resulting from brain damage or dysfunction

Etymology: Alexia is the medical term for losing the ability to read, usually after a stroke or brain injury, and "alexic" is simply its adjectival form, so a person who cannot read is described as alexic. The word is a plain formation: "alexia" plus the suffix "-ic," which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "relating to" or "affected by" the thing named. The noun itself is built from Greek, with the prefix "a-" meaning "without" and a second element "lexis," meaning "speech" or "word," which is also the root behind "lexicon." Read literally, the medical term is a "without-words" condition.