English
scoleciphobia
Scoleciphobia comes from Ancient Greek σκώληξ ‘worm’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *(s)kel- ‘to curve, bend’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kel-‘to curve, bend’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκώληξ‘worm’
- Englishearliest quotation 2015scoleciphobia
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)kel-‘to curve, bend’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσκώληξ‘worm’
- Englishearliest quotation 2015scoleciphobia
Earliest quotation: 2015, Benjamin D. Garber: “...and scoleciphobia, the debilitating fear of earthworms...”
Formed from σκώληξ + -phobia
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *(s)kel- ‘to curve, bend’
cylinder, colon, chalice, calender, colic, scoliosis, skelly, 16 more
Today it means
noun The fear of worms.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)kel- / scoleciphobia