claustrophobia

Where does the word "claustrophobia" come from? It comes from Latin claustrum, passing through Greek before entering English (1879).

Claustrophobia’s story begins in Latin: claustrum meant “an enclosed place.” A bolt, a bar, an enclosed place. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Greek as phobos. Fear, panic. It reached English by 1879 as claustrophobia. Coined by combining Latin claustrum (enclosed place) with Greek phobos (fear). Today, claustrophobia means an extreme or irrational fear of enclosed or confined spaces.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient claustrum "an enclosed place", a bolt, a bar, an enclosed place.
2. Stage 2 · Greek · ancient phobos "fear", fear, panic.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1879 claustrophobia "fear of enclosed spaces", coined by combining Latin claustrum (enclosed place) with Greek phobos (fear).