Why is atrophy in Greek mythology'?

Answer 1

Answer: Atrophy in Greek means when a member or limb does not grow to its full size, or is not strong enough due to a long period of immobility. For instance, atrophy of the arms is common for children whose mothers were on the drug thalydomide while in pregnancy. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

"Trophy" comes from "Trephein" - to nourish. The "a" prefix means "not" or that the word is the opposite of its root. So wasting away is the opposite of flourishing.

See the Merrriam-Webster's 10th Collegiate Dictionary for a definition.

Answer 3

Some etymologists connect the greek-rooted atrophy with the Moirai, Atropos, which cut the thread of life. Her name is taken to mean "inflexible".

However, it is more likely that atrophy comes from the combination of the prefix a-, which means "not" or "not having", and trophe, which is "nourishment" (which itself is derived from trephein, which is "to fatten or feed").

Personally, I would lean to the latter. Atrophy means "to wither". Inflexibility is something that can only be associated to a specific KIND of atrophy, not to the general meaning of the word. So I think that atrophy and Atropos are unrelated.