social, commercial, and religious
activities. From this word, we get
agoraphobia, meaning a fear of
open or public spaces.Glossophobia (noun)
Unreasonable fear of speaking in public.z Gloss or glot are two roots derived
from the Greek word glossa,
meaning “tongue.” This root is
also seen in polyglot, a person
who can speak many languages,
as well as glottis, epiglottis,
and glottal.Acrophobia (noun)
Abnormal fear of heights.z Acrophobia comes from the Greek DNURV, meaning “at the end, the
top, height, summit, or tip.” Related words include acrobatics and
acropolisDKLJKIRUWL¿HGDUHDRIDFLW\Other Phobias
z We might think of phobias and the roots from which they acquire
their names as similar to gateway drugs. Studying just one phobia
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z Claustrophobia, as most of us know, is the morbid fear of being
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Dr. Benjamin Ball and comes from the Latin claustrum, which
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frontier fortress.” Claustrophobia is related to the word cloister, a
monastery that is “closed off” to the laity.Glossophobia, or fear of public
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