alienism

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈeɪ.lɪ.ən.ɪz.əm/

Etymology 1

alien +‎ -ism

Noun

alienism (usually uncountable, plural alienisms)

1. The fact or position of being an alien; alienage.
2. A foreignism, a word (or trait, etc) from another language (or country, etc).
   • 1904, Basil Lanneau Gildersleeve, Charles William Emil Miller, Tenney Frank, Benjamin Dean Meritt, Harold Fredrik Cherniss, Henry Thompson Rowell, American Journal of Philology, page 305:

     The diction of the dialogue is essentially the same as that of the chorus, the slight difference being due to a little greater restriction in the use of alienisms in the former on account of the use of the iambic metre.

   • 1972, Inazō Nitobe, The Works of Inazo Nitobe: Editorial jottings, 1930-1933:

     Alienisms in Our Language.

     By the present we shall know the past.

     From the way European languages, notably English, are spreading among our people, we can imagine with what ease and eagerness our forefathers acclimatized the ...

   • 1990, Rajmund Ohly, The Zanzibarian Challenge: Swahili Prose in the Years 1975-1981:

     In most cases English words appear in novels either as alienisms, in domesticated forms or as loan-words. Interpolated alienisms usually point to imported objects, for example drinks such as Cocacola, brandy (Kizazi), [...]

Translations

fact or position of being an alien

• Esperanto: alienismo

foreignism — see foreignism

See also

• allogenism

Etymology 2

From French aliénisme, from aliéné in the meaning of "insane"

Noun

alienism (uncountable)

1. (archaic) The study or treatment of mental disorders; psychiatry.
   • 2016 Dr. Seward, Penny Dreadful s3e1, 32min

     Since I'm sure you're not familiar with alienism I'll tell you how it works.

Related terms

• alienist

Translations

the study or treatment of mental disorders; psychiatry

• French: aliénisme (fr) m

Anagrams

• Emilians, Milesian