- Anosmia = Loss of the sense of smell
- Anopia = Blindness
- Anaesthesia/Anaphia = Loss of the sense of touch
- Ageusia = Loss of taste
- ? = Deafness
I can't find an equivalent medical term for deafness. Is there one? I also find that the word 'deafness' suffers from a dearth of synonyms that do not involve the word 'deaf'.
Also, if there are terms that are more apt for the loss of the other traditional senses, please list them as well.
Best Answer
The suffix -acusis pertains to hearing, and is normally combined to form words like presbycusis (presby + acusis, age-related hearing loss) and paracusis (para + acusis, any hearing impairment).
When you combine the an- prefix (meaning not or without) with -acusis, you get anacusis -- deafness.