Where does “paranoia” come from?
Paranoia comes from Ancient Greek παράνοια, derived from παράνοος, which combines νόος with νέω, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European per- and (s)neh₂-.
paranoia (English): A psychotic disorder characterized by delusions...
Definitions
- A psychotic disorder characterized by delusions...
Ancestry of “paranoia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | παράνοια | derangement, madness |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | -ῐ́ᾱ | {{l|en|-ia}}; "suffix forming abstract feminine... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |
Words derived from “paranoia”