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Where does the word "phobia" come from? It comes from Greek phobos, and was adopted directly into English (1780s).
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Where does the word "phobia" come from? It comes from Greek phobos, and was adopted directly into English (1780s).
Phobia’s story begins in Greek: phobos meant “fear, panic.” Meaning "fear" or "panic", also the name of a god of fear. It reached English by 1780s as phobia. From Greek 'phobos', fear; Phobos was also a god of fear and names a moon of Mars. Today, phobia means an extreme or irrational fear of a particular thing or situation.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient phobos "fear, panic", meaning "fear" or "panic", also the name of a god of fear.
- Stage 2 · English · 1780s phobia "an irrational, persistent fear", from Greek 'phobos', fear; Phobos was also a god of fear and names a moon of Mars.