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Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia and other words [1]
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Date: 2022-10-29
Let’s start with the word phobia. It is first recorded in English in 1786 and comes from the Greek word phobos which means “fear, panic fear, terror, outward show of fear; object of fear or terror.” In 1895, phobia began being used in the psychological sense of “an abnormal or irrational fear.”
Today, phobias are considered a common form of mental illness and it is estimated that nearly 13% of all American adults deal with a specific phobia in their lifetime. Men are somewhat less likely to experience phobias than are women.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has identified three different categories of phobias. (1) social phobias (social anxiety disorder) which is marked by a fear of social situations in which a person might be judged or embarrassed; (2) agoraphobia which is the fear of open spaces or crowds; and (3) specific phobias. Briefly listed below are a few of the specific phobias recognized by the APA. Yes, these are real phobias with real names.
Phobophobia came into English in 1890 with the meaning of “morbid dread of being alarmed.”
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia simply means "fear of long words." Lisa Fritscher writes:
“This 35-letter, 15-syllable word contains the root sesquipedalian, which means "long word." Therefore, it is sometimes called sesquipedalophobia. However, somewhere along the line, references to the hippopotamus and monsters were added, making it sound even more intimidating.”
Lisa Fritscher also writes:
“Some people have a phobia of long words that are multisyllabic, for instance, while others have a fear of long words that are obscure. Some even fear common words that are more moderate in length.”
I really don’t have any fear of long words, but English has some really weird pronunciations and I’m a bit afraid of mispronouncing long words such as hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.
If you have a fear that a duck may be watching you, then you have anatidaephobia.
Ablutophobia is the fear of bathing.
Algophobia is the fear of pain.
Aichmophobia is the fear of needles or pointed objects.
Arachibutyrophoobia is the fear of peanut butter.
Autophobia is the fear of being alone.
Bibliophobia is the fear of books. With all of the book banning that is happening today, bibliophobia seems to be increasing.
Chionophobia is the fear of snow.
Coulrophobia is the fear of clowns.
Decidophobia is the fear of making decisions.
Elurophobia is the fear of cats.
Glossophobia is the fear of speaking in public. It is estimated that 77% of the population has some level of anxiety about speaking in public. It becomes a phobia when it causes problems in work or social settings.
Iatrophobia is the fear of doctors.
Koumpounophobia is the fear of buttons. Lisa Fritscher writes:
“Some people are afraid of the texture of certain buttons. Others feel that buttons are somehow dirty. Some only fear touching or wearing buttons, while others are scared of viewing buttons worn by strangers or friends.”
Nomophobia is the fear of being without your mobile phone.
Pedophobia is the fear of children.
Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween (the Celtic celebration of Samhain).
Xenophobia is the fear of strangers or foreigners. Some people have suggested that this is synonymous with Republicans.
Zuigerphobia is the fear of vacuum cleaners. I don’t know any humans with this phobia, but I have lived with cats who seem to have it.
Open Thread
This is an open thread so there should be no fears about posting comments, including those that are unrelated to phobias. However, recognizing that some people may have hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, it may be a good idea to avoid really long words. Since very few Kossacks have elurophobia, pootie pictures are encouraged.
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