Dys-


1.
a combining form meaning “ill,” “bad,” used in the formation of compound words:
dysfunction.
prefix
1.
diseased, abnormal, or faulty: dysentery, dyslexia
2.
difficult or painful: dysuria
3.
unfavourable or bad: dyslogistic

word-forming element meaning “bad, ill, abnormal,” from Greek dys-, inseparable prefix “destroying the good sense of a word or increasing its bad sense” [Liddell and Scott], “bad, hard, unlucky,” from PIE root (and prefix) *dus- “bad, ill, evil” (cf. Sanskrit dus-, Old Persian duš- “ill,” Old English to-, Old High German zur-, Gothic tuz- “un-“), a derivative of *deu- “to lack, be wanting” (cf. Greek dein “to lack, want”).

Very productive in ancient Greek, where it could attach even to proper names (e.g. dysparis “unhappy Paris”); its entries take up nine columns in Liddell and Scott. Among the words formed from it were some English might covet: dysouristos “fatally favorable, driven by a too-favorable wind;” dysadelphos “unhappy in one’s brothers;” dysagres “unlucky in fishing;” dysantiblepos “hard to look in the face.”

dys- pref.

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    Digital Simulated Analog Computer. [Sammet 1969, p. 629].

  • Dysacousia

    [dis-uh-koo-zhuh, -zhee-uh, -zee-uh] /ˌdɪs əˈku ʒə, -ʒi ə, -zi ə/ noun, Pathology. 1. a condition in which noise produces pain in the ear. dysacousia dys·a·cou·si·a or dys·a·cu·si·a (dĭs’ə-kōō’zē-ə, -zhə, -kyōō’-) n. A condition in which ordinary sounds produce discomfort or pain in the ear.

  • Dysacusis

    dysacusis dys·a·cu·sis (dĭs’ə-kōō’sĭs) n.

  • Dysadaptation

    [dis-ad-uh p-tey-shuh n] /dɪsˌæd əpˈteɪ ʃən/ noun, Ophthalmology. 1. faulty of the iris and retina to light.

  • Dysaesthetic

    [dis-uh s-thee-zhuh, -zhee-uh, -zee-uh] /ˌdɪs əsˈθi ʒə, -ʒi ə, -zi ə/ noun, Pathology. 1. any impairment of the senses, especially of the sense of touch. 2. a condition in which light physical contact of the skin causes pain. dysesthesia dys·es·the·sia (dĭs’ĭs-thē’zhə) n.


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