Schwellenangst
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English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Borrowed from German Schwellenangst, from Schwelle (“threshold”) + Angst (“anxiety”).
Noun
[edit]Schwellenangst (uncountable)
- A fear of, or aversion to, crossing a threshold or entering a place to begin a new chapter.
- 1970, Scandinavian Public Library Quarterly, volumes 3-4, page 122:
- The inquiry also proves that a considerable number of people suffer from what is called "Schwellenangst", i. e., marked disinclination to visit a book shop unless they are quite sure of what title they want to buy.
- 2005, Christina Ujma, “Gabriele Tergit and Berlin”, in Practicing Modernity, page 263:
- She describes in her autobiography how she was overcome by an attack of ‘Schwellenangst’ when she wanted to cover her first trial, making it impossible for her to enter the courtroom.