autism
/ˈɔːtɪzəm/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
αὐτός — self
Overview
Meaning Now
- A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges with social interaction and communication, and by restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.
- A historical psychiatric term describing a morbid self-absorption or withdrawal from external reality, originally used to describe symptoms in schizophrenia.
Literal older meaning
a state of self-ism
Language path
Ancient Greek → German → English
Earliest form
autism
Earliest period
early 20th century (1907)
Journey
The term was introduced by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler to describe a specific symptom of schizophrenia: a patient's detachment from reality and focus on inner subjective experience.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
αὐτός (autos)
“self”
The Greek pronoun for self.
- Late 19th century
Autismus
“self-absorption”
Coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler.
- 1907
autism
“withdrawal into self”
Borrowed into English, initially as a psychological description of schizophrenia-related withdrawal.
- Late 20th century
autism
“neurodevelopmental condition”
Shift from a symptom of psychosis to an independent diagnostic category (autism spectrum).
Connections
Word parts
aut-
root
self
-ism
suffix
a state, condition, or doctrine
Related across languages
German
Autismus
autism
French
autisme
autism
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Related to autism
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.