fobofobia (Spanish)
Where does "fobofobia" come from?
The Spanish word 'fobofobia' is a recursive term formed by combining the Ancient Greek root 'phóbos,' meaning 'fear,' with the suffix '-fobia.' Its historical origins stretch back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*bʰegʷ-,' which meant 'to run or flee.' Consequently, the word aptly describes the self-referential fear of experiencing fear itself.
Full etymology tree
- fobofobia (Spanish), 'phobophobia'
- compound φόβος (phóbos) (Ancient Greek), 'fear, terror, alarm, fright, panic'
- inherited *pʰógʷos (Proto-Hellenic)
- derived *bʰógʷos (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *bʰegʷ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to flee'
- contraction *bʰewg- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to flee'
- derived *bʰegʷ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to flee'
- derived *bʰógʷos (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *pʰógʷos (Proto-Hellenic)
- suffix -fobia (Spanish), '-phobia'
- derived φόβος (phóbos) (Ancient Greek), 'fear, terror, alarm, fright, panic'
- inherited *pʰógʷos (Proto-Hellenic)
- derived *bʰógʷos (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *bʰegʷ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to flee'
- contraction *bʰewg- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to flee'
- derived *bʰegʷ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to flee'
- derived *bʰógʷos (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *pʰógʷos (Proto-Hellenic)
- derived φόβος (phóbos) (Ancient Greek), 'fear, terror, alarm, fright, panic'
- compound φόβος (phóbos) (Ancient Greek), 'fear, terror, alarm, fright, panic'
Ancestors
- φόβος (Ancient Greek)
- fobia (Spanish)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris