English
koumpounophobia
Koumpounophobia comes from Greek κουμπί ‘button’, and goes back to Ancient Greek κομβίον ‘buckle’.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκομβίον‘buckle’
- Byzantine Greekc. 600–1453κουμπίον
- Greek1453–presentκουμπίkoumpí‘button’
- Englishearliest quotation 2011koumpounophobia
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκομβίον‘buckle’
- Byzantine Greekc. 600–1453κουμπίον
- Greek1453–presentκουμπίkoumpí‘button’
- Englishearliest quotation 2011koumpounophobia
Earliest quotation: 2011, Josh Loeb: “Mrs Rose said that from time to time psychiatrists…”
Formed from -phobia
The story
The anomalous first element may be from a related form such as κουμπώνω (koumpóno), a verb.
Every English word from Ancient Greek κομβίον
Today it means
noun The fear of buttons (clothing fasteners).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek κομβίον / koumpounophobia