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Today it means

amok

in a wild, frenzied, uncontrollable state, as in "running amok"

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Where does the word "amok" come from? It comes from Malay amuk, and was adopted directly into English (1600s-1700s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "amok" come from? It comes from Malay amuk, and was adopted directly into English (1600s-1700s).

Amok’s story begins in Malay: amuk meant “a murderous frenzy.” Describing a state of murderous frenzy. It reached English by 1600s-1700s as amok. Portuguese and later British accounts of Malay warriors running frenzied through crowds made 'run amok' a set phrase. Today, amok means in a wild, frenzied, uncontrollable state, as in "running amok".

  1. Stage 1 · Malay · medieval amuk "a murderous frenzy", describing a state of murderous frenzy.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s-1700s amok "in an uncontrollable, frenzied state", Portuguese and later British accounts of Malay warriors running frenzied through crowds made 'run amok' a set phrase.

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