'aphrasia' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ἀφρασία' (aphrasía), where the prefix 'a-' meant 'without' and 'phrasis' (φρασις) meant 'speech' or 'expression'.

'aphrasia' passed from Greek 'ἀφρασία' into Late/Medieval Latin and then into modern English as 'aphrasia', retaining its medical sense.

Initially it meant 'speechlessness' in a general sense; over time it became a specific clinical term for loss or impairment of language function (similar to or as a variant of 'aphasia').