The Difficulty with Mogi-


The combining form –mogi- was used to construct some interesting words — not an abundance of them, but a few rare ones worth knowing. It comes from the Greek μογισ (mogis), meaning with toil and pain, with difficulty.

Mogigraphia (alternatively, mogigraphy) is writer’s cramp; it is also used to designate cramped writing. The adjective form is mogigraphic. A synonym for mogigraphia is graphospasm.

Mogilalia is difficulty or marked hesitancy in speaking, or defective articulation. The second half of the word comes from the Greek λαλειν (lalein), to speak. Mogilalism was a rare alternate form of the word.

Mogiphonia was defined as difficulty in producing loud vocal sounds, as in public speaking or singing, attributed to overuse of the voice. Forcefulness was lost as fatigue set in. One medical dictionary calls it a “laryngeal spasm.”

Mogitocia, according to Doland’s Medical Dictionary (1923) is difficult parturition. In Greek, τοκοσ (tokos) means birth.


SIDEBAR: writer’s cramp


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