English
phobia
Phobia comes from Ancient Greek φόβος ‘fear’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰegʷ- ‘to run, flee’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰegʷ-‘to run, flee’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰógʷosreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰógʷosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφόβοςphóbos‘fear’
- Englishearliest quotation 1914phobia
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰegʷ-‘to run, flee’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰógʷosreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰógʷosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφόβοςphóbos‘fear’
- Englishearliest quotation 1914phobia
Earliest quotation: 1914, McClure's Magazine: “Some patients have the phobia of light, and others…”
first attested First attested in c. 1790 (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in c. 1790, from words ending in -phobia, ultimately from Ancient Greek φόβος (phóbos, “fear”).
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *bʰegʷ-
Today it means
noun An irrational, abnormal, or obsessive fear (of something).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰegʷ- / phobia