bedlam

Wikipedia

See also Bedlam

English

Etymology

From Bedlam, alternative name of the English lunatic asylum, Bethlem Royal Hospital (royal hospital from 1375, mental hospital from 1403) (earlier St Mary of Bethlehem outside Bishopsgate, hospice in existence from 1329, priory established 1247), sense used to mean “a place or situation of madness and chaos”. Bedlam as name of hospital attested 1450.

Phonologically, corruption of Bethlem, itself a corruption of Bethlehem (“a biblical town”), from the Ancient Greek Βηθλεέμ (Bēthleem) from the Hebrew בּית לחם (bet léchem).

Noun

bedlam (plural bedlams)

1. A place or situation of chaotic uproar, and where confusion prevails.
   • 1872: John Bunyan, The Complete Works of John Bunyan, p 133

     Some of the wards were veritable "bedlams," and dis-charged patients have told of abuses practiced in them of which the mere recital causes a shudder.

   • 2002: Mark L. Friedman, Everyday Crisis Management, p 134

     The outside of the Hyatt was bedlam. There was a group of more than a hundred injured people on the circular drive in front of the hotel.

2. (obsolete) An insane person; a lunatic; a madman.
   • Shakespeare

     Let's get the bedlam to lead him.

3. (obsolete) A lunatic asylum; a madhouse.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Archbishop Tillotson to this entry?)

Translations

A place or situation of chaotic uproar, and where confusion prevails

• Armenian: գժանոց (hy) (gžanoc’)
• Dutch: gekkenhuis (nl)
• Finnish: hullunmylly (fi), sekasorto (fi), kaaos (fi)
• French: cour du roi pétaud (fr)
• German: Hexensabbat (de) m

• Hungarian: tébolyda (hu), bolondokháza (hu)
• Portuguese: alvoroço (pt) m, cafarnaum (pt) m, motim (pt) m, tumulto (pt) m
• Romanian: balamuc (ro) n, haos (ro) n, zăpăceală (ro) f
• Russian: бедлам (ru) (bedlam), хаос (ru) (xaos), сумасшедший дом (ru) (sumasšedšij dom)

References

• bedlam in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Anagrams

• ambled
• beldam
• blamed