-phobia
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2008-07-16T20:59:20Z
Mikkalai
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/* Miscellaneous */
{{otheruses4|the suffix ''-phobia''|the class of psychological disorders|Phobia}}
The [[English language|English]] suffixes '''-phobia''', '''-phobic''', '''-phobe''' (''of [[Greek language|Greek]] origin: φόβος/φοβία'' ) occur in technical usage in [[psychiatry]] to construct words that describe irrational, disabling [[fear]] as a mental disorder (e.g., [[agoraphobia]]), in [[chemistry]] to describe chemical aversions (e.g., [[hydrophobic]]), in [[biology]] to describe organisms that dislike certain conditions (e.g., [[acidophobia]]), and in [[medicine]] to describe hypersensitivity to a stimulus, usually sensory (e.g., [[photophobia]]). In common usage they also form words that describe dislike or hatred of a particular thing or subject. The suffix is [[antonym]]ic to [[-phil-]].
Many people apply the suffix ''-phobia'' inappropriately to mild or irrational fears with no serious substance; however, earlier senses relate to [[psychiatry]] which studies serious phobias which disable a person's [[personal life|life]]. For more information on the psychiatric side of this, including how psychiatry groups phobias as agoraphobia, social phobia, or simple phobia, see [[phobia]].
The following lists include words ending in ''-phobia'', and include fears that have acquired names. In many cases people have coined these words as [[neologism]]s, and only a few of them occur in the medical literature. In many cases, the naming of phobias has become a [[word game]], of notable example being a 1998 humorous article published by ''[[BBC News]]''.<ref name=bbc>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/entertainment/173250.stm The A- Z of Fear], an [[October 30]], [[1998]] ''[[BBC News]]'' unsigned article in the "Entertainment" section</ref>
Note too that no things, substances, or even concepts exist which someone, somewhere may not fear, sometimes irrationally so. A list of all possible phobias would run into many thousands.
Most of these terms tack the [[suffix]] ''-phobia'' onto a Greek word for the object of the fear (some use a combination of a [[Latin language|Latin]] root with the Greek suffix, which many classicists consider linguistically impure).
In some cases (particularly the less medically-oriented usages), a word ending in ''-phobia'' may have an [[antonym]] with the suffix ''[[-phil-]]'', e.g., [[Anti-German sentiment|Germanophobe]] / [[Germanophile]].
See also the [[:category:Phobias]].
==Phobia lists==
A large number of''-phobia'' lists circulate on the Internet, with words collected from indiscriminate sources, often copying each other. Also, a number of psychiatric websites exist that at the first glance cover a huge number of phobias, but in fact use a standard text to fit any phobia and reuse it for all unusual phobias by merely changing the name.<ref>[http://www.webpronews.com/insidesearch/insidesearch/wpn-56-20050825ContentSpammersHelpYouOvercomeProstitutePhobia.html Content Spammers Help You Overcome Prostitute Phobia]</ref> Such practice is known as [[content spamming]] and is used to attract [[Web search engine|search engine]]s.
==Psychological conditions==
In many cases specialists prefer to avoid the suffix ''-phobia'' and use more descriptive terms, see, e.g., [[personality disorders]], [[anxiety disorder]]s, [[avoidant personality disorder]], [[love-shyness]], [[love sickness]].
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As with other Wikipedia articles, the list below should include only information taken from reputable sources. Phobia-lists, blogs, and snake-oil psychiatric websites that promise to heal you from [[Russophobia]] for a mere $1899.99 do not count as reputable.
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* [[Acrophobia]], Altophobia — fear of heights.
* [[Agoraphobia]] — fear of a place or event where escape is impossible or when help is unavailable.
* [[Algophobia]] — fear of pain.
* [[Anthropophobia]], fear of people or being in a company, a form of [[social phobia]]
* [[Aquaphobia]], [[Hydrophobia]] — fear of water
* [[Astraphobia]], Astrapophobia, Brontophobia, Keraunophobia — fear of [[thunder]], [[lightning]] and storms; especially common in young children.
* [[Autophobia]] — fear of [[Solitude|being alone]].
* [[Fear of flying|Aviophobia]], Aviatophobia — fear of flying.
* [[Bacillophobia]], Bacteriophobia, Microbiophobia — fear of [[microbe]]s and [[bacterium|bacteria]].
* [[Cibophobia]], [[Sitophobia]] — aversion to [[food]], synonymous to [[Anorexia nervosa]].
* [[Claustrophobia]] — fear of confined spaces.
* [[Coulrophobia]] — fear of [[clown]]s (not restricted to [[evil clown]]s).
* [[Dental phobia]], Dentophobia, Odontophobia — fear of [[dentist]]s and dental procedures.
* [[Dysmorphophobia]], or [[body dysmorphic disorder]] — a phobic obsession with a real or imaginary body defect.
* [[Emetophobia]] — fear of vomiting.
* [[Ergasiophobia]], Ergophobia — fear of work or functioning, or a [[surgery|surgeon]]'s fear of operating.
* [[Erotophobia]] — fear of sexual love or sexual questions.
* [[Erythrophobia]] — pathological blushing.
* [[Gephyrophobia]] — fear of [[bridge]]s
* [[Genophobia]], Coitophobia — fear of sexual intercourse.
* [[Glossophobia]] — fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak.
* [[Gymnophobia]] — fear of [[Nudism|nudity]].
* [[Gynophobia]] — fear of women.
* [[Haptephobia]] - fear of being touched.
* [[Heliophobia]] — fear of sunlight.
* [[Hemophobia]], Haemophobia — fear of [[blood]].
* [[Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia]] — fear of the [[Number of the Beast|number 666]].
* [[Hoplophobia]] - fear of [[weapon]]s, specifically [[firearm]]s (Generally a political term but the clinical phobia is also documented).
* [[Ligyrophobia]] - fear of loud noises.
* [[Mysophobia]] — fear of germs, contamination or dirt.
* [[Necrophobia]] — fear of death, the dead.
* [[Neophobia]], Cainophobia, Cainotophobia, Cenophobia, Centophobia, Kainolophobia, Kainophobia — fear of newness, novelty.
* [[Nomophobia]] — fear of being out of mobile phone contact.
* [[Nosophobia]] — fear of contracting a disease
* [[Nyctophobia]], Achluophobia, Lygophobia, Scotophobia — fear of darkness.
* [[Osmophobia]], Olfactophobia — fear of smells.
* [[Paraskavedekatriaphobia]], Paraskevidekatriaphobia, Friggatriskaidekaphobia — fear of [[Friday the 13th]].
* [[Panphobia]] — fear of everything or constantly afraid without knowing what is causing it
* [[Phonophobia]] — fear of loud sounds.
* [[Pyrophobia]] — fear of fire.
* [[Radiophobia]] — fear of [[radioactivity]] or [[X-ray]]s.
* [[Social anxiety|Sociophobia]] — fear/dislike of society or people in general (see also "[[Antisocial personality disorder|sociopath]]").
* [[Taphophobia]] — fear of the [[Grave (burial)|grave]], or fear of being placed in a grave while still alive.
* [[Technophobia]] — fear of [[technology]] (see also [[Luddite]]).
* [[Tetraphobia]] — fear of the number [[4 (number)|4]].
* [[Tokophobia]] — [[fear of childbirth]].
* [[Triskaidekaphobia]], Terdekaphobia — fear of the number [[13 (number)|13]].
* [[Trypanophobia]], Aichmophobia, Belonephobia, Enetophobia — fear of needles or injections
* [[Xenophobia]] — fear of strangers, foreigners, or aliens.
===Zoophobias===
* [[Ailurophobia]] -- fear of [[cats]]
* [[Apiphobia]], [[Melissophobia]] — fear of [[bee]]s
* [[Arachnophobia]] — fear of [[spider]]s
* [[Chiroptophobia]] — fear of [[bat]]s
* [[Cynophobia]] — fear of [[dog]]s
* [[Entomophobia]] — fear of insects
* [[Equinophobia]], [[Hippophobia]] — fear of [[horse]]s
* [[Herpetophobia]] — fear of [[reptile]]s
* [[Ichthyophobia]] — fear of [[fish]]
* [[Musophobia]] — fear of [[mouse|mice]] and/or [[rat]]s
* [[Ophidiophobia]] — fear of [[snake]]s
* [[Ornithophobia]] — fear of [[bird]]s
* [[Ranidaphobia]] — fear of [[frog]]s
* [[Zoophobia]] — a generic term for animal phobias
==Non-psychological conditions==
The following medical conditions have nothing to do with irrational fears. However, each usually has a psychological disorder of the same name which is an irrational fear. The behavior of an individual with the medical condition can be similar to the behavior of an individual with the psychological disorder of the same name (e.g., for both usages of [[Photophobia]] the person avoids light). The difference in usage is that for the medical term there is an underlying physiological condition that results in the behavior. For example, with medical [[Photophobia]] the hypersensitivity to light is sufficient such that at some light levels the person experiences pain which they avoid by seeking darkness. Removing the physiological cause of the hypersensitivity to light results in the person no longer avoiding light. With psychological [[Photophobia]] the person fears the light even though there is no current physiological pain caused by light.
* [[Rabies|Hydrophobia]] — fear of [[water]] (a symptom of [[rabies]]).
* [[Photophobia]] — hypersensitivity to light causing aversion to light (a symptom of [[Meningitis]] and a common condition of [[migrane]] headaches).
* [[Phonophobia]] — hypersensitivity to sound causing aversion to sounds. Common during an alcohol [[hangover]] or [[migrane]].
* [[Osmophobia]] — hypersensitivity to smells causing aversion to odors. Common during pregnancy.
==Biology, chemistry==
[[Biology|Biologist]]s use a number of ''-phobia/-phobic'' terms to describe predispositions by plants and animals against certain conditions. For antonyms, see [[-phil-#Biology|here]].
* [[Acidophobe|Acidophobia/Acidophobic]] — preference for non-acidic conditions.
* [[Heliophobia|Heliophobia/Heliophobic]] — aversion to [[sun]]light.
* [[Hydrophobe|Hydrophobia/Hydrophobic]] — a property of being repelled by water.
* [[Lipophobicity]] — a property of fat rejection
* [[Photophobia (biology)|Photophobia/Photophobic]] — a negative [[phototaxis]] or [[phototropism]] response.
* [[Superhydrophobe]] — the property given to materials that are extremely difficult to get wet.
* [[Thermophobic|Thermophobia/Thermophobic]] — aversion to [[heat]].
* [[Xerophobe|Xerophobia/Xerophobic]] — aversion to dryness.
==Prejudices==
One can readily use the suffix ''-phobia'' to coin a term that denotes a particular anti-ethnic or anti-demographic sentiment, such as [[Francophobia]]. Often a synonym with the prefix "anti-" already exists (e.g., [[Polonophobia]] vs. [[anti-Polonism]]). See "[[List of anti-ethnic terms]]" for more examples. Anti-religious sentiments are expressed in terms such as [[Christianophobia]] and [[Islamophobia]].
Other prejudices include
* [[Biphobia]] — dislike of [[bisexual]]s
* [[Chemophobia]] — prejudice against artificial substances in favour of 'natural' substances.
* [[Ephebiphobia]] — fear/dislike of [[youth]].
* [[Gerontophobia]] — fear of growing old or a hatred of the [[elderly]].
* [[Heterophobia]] — fear/dislike of [[heterosexual]]s.
* [[Homophobia]] — aversion to [[homosexuality]] or fear of homosexuals. (This word has become a common political term, and many people interpret it as a [[Term of disparagement|slur]].)
* [[Hoplophobia]] — aversion to [[firearms]] or firearms owners. This word has also gained a certain political notoriety as a [[dysphemism]] for "gun control advocate"
* [[Pedophobia]] — fear/dislike of children.
* [[Psychophobia]] — prejudice and discrimination against [[mentally ill]]
* [[Transphobia]] — fear or dislike of [[transgender]] or [[transsexual]] people.
* [[Xenophobia]] — fear or dislike of [[foreigners]]
==Jocular and fictional phobias==
* Aibohphobia — a joke term for the fear of [[palindrome]]s, which is a palindrome itself.
* ''[[Anachrophobia]]'' (book title) — fear of temporal displacement.
* Anatidaephobia — fear that somewhere, somehow, a [[duck]] is watching you (fictional, from a [[Gary Larson]] cartoon published in ''[[The Far Side|The Far Side Gallery, 4]]'').
* [[Anoraknophobia]]- fear of [[spider]]s wearing [[anorak]]s: it is a [[portmanteau]] of "anorak" and "[[arachnophobia]]. Used in the [[Wallace and Gromit]] comic book ''Anoraknophobia'' [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0340728345]. Also the title of an album [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005CC5A] by [[Marillion]].
* Arachibutyrophobia — fear of [[peanut butter]] sticking to the roof of the mouth. The word is used by [[Peter O'Donnell]] in his 1985 [[Modesty Blaise]] adventure novel ''[[Dead Man's Handle]]''.<ref>The word appears in Chapter 10 when Modesty Blaise and her companion [[Willie Garvin]] play a word game in which Garvin challenges Blaise to decipher the meaning of words</ref> It had circulated, unattributed, in the Internet for some time until it landed at the [http://changethatsrightnow.com/problem_detail.asp?SDID=301:1381 CTRN Phobia Clinic website]: "Working one-on-one with one of our team, with guaranteed lifetime elimination of Sticky Peanut Butter Phobia. '''From $1497 and up'''."
* Arachnophobiaphobia — the fear of people who are afraid of spiders. From ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'' episode 6.22, "Partings":
*:LORELAI: What's it called when you're afraid of people who are afraid of spiders? ‘Cause that one I’ve got.
*:EMILY: Oh, lord.
*:CAROLYN: I don't think there's a technical term for that yet.
*:LORELAI: How about arachnophobiaphobia? 'Cause that makes sense.
* Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia — fear of long words. Hippopoto- "big" due to its allusion to the Greek-derived word [[hippopotamus]] (though this is derived as ''hippo-'' "horse" compounded with ''potam-os'' "river", so originally meaning "river horse"; according to the [[Oxford English]], "hippopotamine" has been construed as large since 1847, so this coinage is reasonable); -monstr- is from Latin words meaning "monstrous", -o- is a noun-compounding vowel; -sesquipedali- comes from "sesquipedalian" meaning a long word (literally "a foot and a half long" in Latin), -o- is a noun-compounding vowel, and -phobia means "fear". Note: This was mentioned on the first episode of [[Brainiac: Science Abuse|Brainiac]] Series Five as one of [[Jon Tickle|Tickle]]'s Teasers.
* Luposlipaphobia — the fear of being pursued by [[timber wolf|timber wolves]] around a kitchen table while wearing socks on a newly-waxed floor (fictional, also from [[Gary Larson]] in the cartoon series ''The Far Side'').
* Venustraphobia, fear of beautiful women, according to a 1998 humorous article published by ''[[BBC News]]''.<ref name=bbc/> The word is a [[portmanteau]] of "[[Venus trap]]" and "phobia". ''[[Venustraphobia]]'' is the title of a 2006 [[album]] by [[Casbah Club]].
==Miscellaneous==
*''Chromophobia'' - meaning "hatred/fear of colors"; used as the title of the film ''[[Chromophobia (film)|Chromophobia]]''
*''[[Choreophobia]]'' — hatred of dance, a book by [[Anthony Shay]] about Iranian dance and its prohibition after the [[Iranian Revolution]]
*''[[Entomophobia (orchid)|Entomophobia]]'' — a [[genus]] of [[orchid]]s. The word means "fear of [[insect]]s"
*''Robophobia'', a novel by [[Richard Evans (British author)|Richard Evans]]
== References ==
<references/>
* {{cite book|title=The Aldrich Dictionary of Phobias and Other Word Families|id=ISBN 1-55369-886-X|publisher=Trafford Publishing|author=Chris Aldrich|date=[[2002-12-02]]}}
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[[Category:Greek suffixes|Phobia]]
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