Are you somewhat timid or fearful?
In a 1983 article published in Quebec, Canada, author Michel Tremblay sheds light on an intriguing phobia named Pisozomophobia. This rare and somewhat obscure term, found in the Office of the French Language's lexicon of phobia names, is a product of a systematic effort to create Greek and Latin-root based names for a wide variety of fears and phobias.
The word Pisozomophobia is a combination of three parts:
- Piso-/Pisozo-: Derived from the Greek word "pisos," which can mean "floor" or "cloak," though the exact reference in "pisozomo-" is debated.
- -zomo-: Possibly from Greek "zôma" meaning "belt" or "girdle."
- -phobia: From Greek "phobos," meaning "fear."
While the exact literal meaning of Pisozomophobia is subject to interpretation, it appears to denote a fear related to a very specific object or concept associated with the "pisozo-" roots. Some interpretations suggest it might refer to a fear of belts or girdles, or possibly a fear of floors or flooring.
The Office of the French Language (L’Office de la langue française) was responsible for this lexicon, which aimed to formalize terminology, including psychological and medical terms, by coining neologisms (newly created terms) using classical roots.
In his article, Tremblay expresses surprise at the publication of such a lexicon, which includes a variety of phobias, and accuses the Office of the French Language of publishing a lexicon of neuroses and psychoses. He also criticizes the use of taxpayers' money on what he calls "futile nonsense."
This lexicon, which is in Greek and Latin, also includes other unusual phobias such as a fear of white canes (typhloskiponophobia), a fear of polo games (ephipposhérisophobia), a fear of belly buttons (omphaloscopophobia), and a fear of feminists who fight against buttocks slapping (rathapygophobia). If someone dislikes watching hockey, they can be called a pagodromagonophobe, and if they dislike baseball, they can be called a tetragoniospherophobe or a rhombospherophobe.
It's important to note that Pisozomophobia, like many of the phobias listed in this lexicon, is not widely used or clinically recognized outside this context. For a more precise understanding of how the Office of the French Language defined it in 1983, a consultation of the specific lexicon entry might be necessary.
In summary, Pisozomophobia is a fascinating example of a neologistic phobia name, coined as part of an academic or lexicographical exercise to create systematic phobia names. Its exact literal meaning likely refers to a fear involving belts/girdles or floors, depending on root interpretation.
Hockey can be a form of entertainment that a pagodromagonophobe may fear watching, given their dislike for it, due to its association with the floor in the context of Pisozomophobia. Furthermore, Pisozomophobia, a neologistic phobia name, could potentially be connected to pop-culture discussions about fear-themed terms in lexicons, as seen in the Office of the French Language's lexicon of phobias.
