Phobias and phobic stimuli A phobia is a persistent, irrational fear of an object, event, activity, or situation, called the phobic stimulus, resulting in a compelling desire to avoid it—a more detailed definition is given under the headword phobia in the main body of the dictionary, and the correct term for irrational fears that do not qualify as true phobias is defined under the headword paraphobia.
This is probably a more comprehensive inventory of phobias and their etymologies than any previously published, but it has no pretensions to completeness. Virtually anything is capable of becoming a phobic stimulus, and names of phobias are often coined as nonce words, hence the number of potential phobias is unlimited, and any attempt to list them exhaustively would be futile.
The entries in this appendix are restricted to phobias that have been discussed in serious publications or catalogued in general or specialist reference works. In addition to etymologies, the table includes cross-references and occasional comments on usage. Phobias with separate entries in the main body of the dictionary are flagged.
The names of most phobias are formed by combining a Greek prefix denoting the phobic stimulus with the suffix -phobia (from Greek phobos fear + -ia indicating a condition or quality). But many names of phobias are neoclassical hybrids, combining a Latin prefix with the Greek suffix, a typical example—one is tempted to say a classic example—being claustrophobia.
The names of most phobias are formed by combining a Greek prefix denoting the phobic stimulus with the suffix -phobia (from Greek phobos fear + -ia indicating a condition or quality). But many names of phobias are neoclassical hybrids, combining a Latin prefix with the Greek suffix, a typical example—one is tempted to say a classic example—being claustrophobia.
Although frowned on by linguistic purists, this type of word-formation is well established in contemporary English: compare sociology, television, monolingual. There are also a few phobias that are named by combining an English (or other modern language) prefix with the Greek suffix, for example computerphobia.
What follows is a double-entry list. Each phobia can be looked up either under its technical name, where the phobic stimulus is specified and a brief etymology is given, or (excepting panphobia) under its distinguishing phobic stimulus or stimuli—spiders, confined spaces, heights, and so on—where the name of the corresponding phobia will be found. After looking up the name of a phobia, the entry under the corresponding phobic stimulus may then be consulted for alternative names, if any, of the same phobia; or after looking up a phobic stimulus, the entry under the corresponding phobia may be consulted for further information, including its etymology and occasional cross-references.
What follows is a double-entry list. Each phobia can be looked up either under its technical name, where the phobic stimulus is specified and a brief etymology is given, or (excepting panphobia) under its distinguishing phobic stimulus or stimuli—spiders, confined spaces, heights, and so on—where the name of the corresponding phobia will be found. After looking up the name of a phobia, the entry under the corresponding phobic stimulus may then be consulted for alternative names, if any, of the same phobia; or after looking up a phobic stimulus, the entry under the corresponding phobia may be consulted for further information, including its etymology and occasional cross-references.
