What does nerval mean?
Nerval is a rare adjective meaning relating to nerves or the nervous system. It was especially used in older medical language to describe conditions involving the nerves, as in “a nerval complaint.” Although the term may occasionally appear in historical writing, modern speakers and writers generally use “neural” instead, which covers many of the same senses and is also the standard term in anatomy and medicine. Nerval can still be useful when reading or interpreting nineteenth- and early twentieth-century texts, but it is not normally chosen for contemporary formal prose. The word belongs to the same lexical family as “neural,” “neuron,” and other terms derived from Greek neuron, meaning nerve.
adjectiveNerval means of, relating to, or affecting the nerves. The word is now rare and is encountered mainly in specialized or historical contexts.
- Relating to the nerves or to the nervous system.
"The old medical text described a nerval condition of the limbs."
"The physician recorded a nerval complaint in the patient’s arm."
"The term “nerval” appears in several nineteenth-century medical accounts."
Once used for conditions involving the nerves, “nerval” now survives mainly in older medical writing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of nerval
Nerval derives from the Latin nervus, meaning “nerve, sinew, or tendon,” a root also underlying English “neural” and “neuron.” The adjective appeared in English medical vocabulary during the nineteenth century, when specialized terms formed with -al were commonly used to describe structures or conditions involving particular parts of the body. Its modern use is rare, having largely been replaced by “neural.”
Related word forms
How nerval is actually used
This is an uncommon, chiefly historical adjective. Modern English normally uses “neural” for something relating to nerves or the nervous system.