hysteria
/hɪˈstɪə.ri.ə/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
hystera — womb
Overview
Meaning Now
- A psychological disorder characterized by uncontrollable excess of emotion, often manifesting as physical symptoms without organic cause.
- Exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement, especially among a group of people.
Literal older meaning
womb-condition
Language path
Ancient Greek → New Latin → English
Earliest form
hysteria
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
Historically, hysteria was a catch-all medical diagnosis applied almost exclusively to women. It was rooted in the ancient notion that the uterus could move within the body, causing various physical and mental disturbances. In the late 19th century, Jean-Martin Charcot and later Sigmund Freud moved the study of hysteria into the realm of psychology, viewing it as a manifestation of trauma or subconscious conflict. It was removed as a diagnostic category from the DSM in 1980.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
hystera
“womb”
Used in Hippocratic medicine to describe symptoms thought to be caused by a wandering womb.
- New Latin
hysteria
“a nervous disorder associated with women”
Adopted into clinical taxonomy during the 17th-18th centuries.
- English
hysteria
“uncontrollable emotion”
Entered common usage as a psychiatric diagnosis.
Connections
Word parts
hyster
root
womb
ia
suffix
condition or disease
Related across languages
Ancient Greek
hysterikos
of the womb
Explore next
Related to hysteria
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.