Rhinolalias

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A speech disorder characterized by an abnormal resonance due to nasal obstruction
2. a condition affecting the clarity of speech by altering vocal tone through nasal passages
3. a type of voice impairment resulting from improper airflow through the nasal cavity during speech production

Etymology: "Rhinolalia" is a medical term built entirely from Greek. "Rhis" (genitive "rhinos") means nose, and "lalia" means talk, from "lalein," to chatter. Together they literally describe speech that sounds through the nose. Ancient Greek had no such disorder under this name, so the word is a modern technical coinage from classical roots. "Rhinolalias" is the plural, used when clinicians count or distinguish separate cases or types of the condition.