Subsultus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A condition characterized by alternating, rapid muscle contractions that are intermittent and involuntary occurs
2. This describes a phenomenon involving brief, erratic muscle movements that happen suddenly and irregularly
3. A sudden, involuntary twitching or jerking of muscles occurring briefly and unexpectedly

Etymology: "Subsultus" is a New Latin term, a coinage built from classical Latin rather than something that circulated in ancient Rome. Its Latin root sense is "a leaping up" or "a jumping up from below," from the verb "subsilire," which combines "sub" (up from under) with "salire" (to leap). The English word "subsultory" is its close relative, and the modern medical use of "subsultus" carries that same image of a sudden jolt, the body leaping in small, uncontrolled bursts. The useful point for a reader is how literal the original picture remains. The medical term describes twitches that seem to spring up out of nowhere, and the Latin verb underneath still describes exactly that: something rising suddenly from beneath, in short hops rather than smooth motion.