# "ageusiatic" or "ageusic"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ageusiatic-or-ageusic/455844
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [July 9, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ageusiatic-or-ageusic/455844 "2008-07-09T15:52:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ageusiatic-or-ageusic/455844/1 "2008-07-09T15:52:05Z")
[column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_149.html)
> [@Cecil Adams](#):
>
> The technical term for the inability to smell is anosmia, and a person who is unable to detect smells is anosmic. The inability to taste is ageusia, and a (literally) tasteless person **presumably** would be an ageusiatic
(bolding mine - to emphasize that Cecil is forming the word “ageusiatic” himself)
If “anosmia” becomes “anosmic”, shouldn’t “ageusia” become “ageusic”?
I admit “ageusiatic” sounds more natural to my ear, but is there some standard “mia” to “mic”, “sia” to “siatic” rule Cecil is following here?
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ageusiatic-or-ageusic/455844/2 "2008-07-09T17:40:11Z")
If you’re taking a vote, I like your word better. Any word ending in “-siatic” makes me think of “Asiatic.”
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### Author:  [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2008, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ageusiatic-or-ageusic/455844/3 "2008-07-10T02:26:55Z")
Come to think of it, it’s probably the word “Asiatic” that made me think “ageusiatic” at least sounded somewhat natural. On the other hand, apparently someone suffering [aphasia](http://www.answers.com/aphasic&r=67) is an “aphasiac” or “aphasic”, so that’s a count against the idea that “sia” always becomes “siatic”.