delirium

See also: Delirium and delírium

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *de

Proto-Indo-European *-h₁

Proto-Indo-European *déh₁

Proto-Italic *dē

Latin dē

Latin dē-

Proto-Indo-European *leys-

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂

Proto-Indo-European *lóyseh₂

Proto-Italic *loizā

Latin līra

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin dēlīrō

Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós

Proto-Italic *-ijos

Proto-Italic *-ios

Old Latin -ios

Latin -ius

Latin -ium

Latin dēlīriumbor.

English delirium

Borrowed from Latin dēlīrium (“derangement, madness”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: dĭlĭʹrēəm
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪˈlɪ.ɹi.əm/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /dɪˈlɪɹ.i.əm/
• Rhymes: -ɪəɹiəm

Noun

delirium (countable and uncountable, plural deliriums or deliria)

1. (medicine) A temporary mental state with a sudden onset, usually reversible, including symptoms of confusion, inability to concentrate, disorientation, anxiety, and sometimes hallucinations. Causes can include dehydration, drug intoxication, and severe infection.
   • 1824, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], Tales of a Traveller, (please specify |part=1 to 4), Philadelphia, Pa.: H[enry] C[harles] Carey & I[saac] Lea, […], →OCLC:

     The popular delirium [of the French Revolution] at first caught his enthusiastic mind.

   • 1826, [Mary Shelley], The Last Man. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC:

     Better to decay in absolute delirium, than to be the victim of the methodical unreason of ill-bestowed love.

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Return to Courtenaye Hall”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 149:

     The evening wore away, and the long grass was silvery with dew; the consequence was what might have been expected,—next day, he was laid up with a violent cold; and the fever soon ran so high, that delirium came on; and before three days were past, his life hung upon a thread.

   • 1879, John Morley, Burke:

     the delirium of the preceding session (of Parliament)

2. Wild, frenzied excitement or ecstasy.

Derived terms

• agitated delirium
• deliriogen
• excited delirium
• nocturnal delirium

Related terms

• deliracy
• delirament
• delirancy
• delirant
• delirate
• delirating
• deliration
• delire
• delirement
• deliriant
• deliriate
• delirifacient
• deliring
• delirious
• deliriously
• deliriousness
• delirium tremens
• delirous
• delirousness
• deliry

Translations

mental state of confusion

• Albanian: jerm (sq) m
• Arabic: هَذَيَان m (haḏayān)
• Armenian: զառանցանք (hy) (zaṙancʻankʻ), ցնորք (hy) (cʻnorkʻ)
• Asturian: deliriu
• Azerbaijani: sayıqlama, deliriya
• Basque: eldarnio, zoraldi, zorabio
• Belarusian: брэд m (bred)
• Bulgarian: бълну́ване (bg) n (bălnúvane), дели́риум (bg) m (delírium)
• Catalan: deliri (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 譫妄 / 谵妄 (zh) (zhānwàng), 神志昏迷 (zh) (shénzhì hūnmí)

• Czech: delirium (cs) n
• Danish: delirium n
• Dutch: delier (nl) n, delirium (nl) n
• Esperanto: deliro (eo)
• Finnish: houretila, sekavuus (fi), delirium (fi)
• French: délire (fr) m
• Galician: delirio (gl) m
• German: Delirium (de) n, Fieberphantasie (de) n, Taumel (de) m
• Greek: παραλήρημα (el) n (paralírima), ντελίριο (el) n (ntelírio)
• Gujarati: ચિત્તભ્રમણા (cittabhramṇā)
• Hebrew: דֶלִירְיוּם (he) m (deliryum)
• Hungarian: delírium (hu)
• Icelandic: óráð n
• Indonesian: delirium (id)
• Irish: rámhaille f
• Italian: delirio (it) m
• Japanese: せん妄 (ja) (せんもう, senmō), 譫妄 (ja) (せんもう, senmō)
• Kazakh: сандырақ (sandyraq)
• Korean: 섬망(譫妄) (ko) (seommang)
• Latin: dēlīrium n
• Latvian: delīrijs m
• Macedonian: делириум m (delirium)
• Māori: kutukutuahi, ngutungutuahi, kuawa, mate kuawa
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: delirium n

• Persian: دلیریوم (deliryum)
• Plautdietsch: Feebadroom m
• Polish: majaczenie n, delirium (pl) n, (colloquial) delirka f
• Portuguese: delírio (pt) m
• Romanian: delir (ro) n
• Romansh: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: бред (ru) m (bred), дели́рий (ru) m (delírij), горя́чка (ru) f (gorjáčka)
• Scottish Gaelic: breisleach m, boile f, mearan m, bruaillean m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: делиријум m

  Latin: delirijum (sh) m

• Slovak: delírium n
• Slovene: delirij m
• Spanish: delirio (es) m
• Swedish: delirium (sv) n
• Tagalog: deliryo
• Turkish: sayıklama (tr), deliriyum
• Ukrainian: бред m (bred), делі́рій m (delírij)
• Vietnamese: mê sảng (vi)

References

• “delirium”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “delirium”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Danish

Etymology

From Latin dēlīrium.

Noun

delirium n (singular definite deliriet, plural indefinite delirier)

1. delirium

Declension

Declension of delirium

neuter gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	delirium	deliriet	delirier	delirierne
genitive	deliriums	deliriets	deliriers	deliriernes

Further reading

• “delirium” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēlīrium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /deːˈliː.ri.ʏm/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: de‧li‧ri‧um

Noun

delirium n (plural deliria or deliriums, diminutive deliriumpje n)

1. delirium

Synonyms

• delier

Descendants

• → Indonesian: delirium

Finnish

Etymology

< Latin dēlīrium

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdeli(ː)rium/, [ˈde̞li(ː)ˌrium]
• Rhymes: -ium
• Syllabification^(key): de‧li‧ri‧um
• Hyphenation^(key): de‧li‧ri‧um

Noun

delirium

1. (medicine) delirium (temporary mental state of confusion, disorientation and anxiety)

   Synonyms: sekavuus, houretila

Usage notes

• This term is chiefly used by the medical profession.

Declension

Inflection of delirium (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		delirium	deliriumit
genitive		deliriumin	deliriumien
partitive		deliriumia	deliriumeja
illative		deliriumiin	deliriumeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		delirium	deliriumit
accusative	nom.	delirium	deliriumit
	gen.	deliriumin
genitive		deliriumin	deliriumien
partitive		deliriumia	deliriumeja
inessive		deliriumissa	deliriumeissa
elative		deliriumista	deliriumeista
illative		deliriumiin	deliriumeihin
adessive		deliriumilla	deliriumeilla
ablative		deliriumilta	deliriumeilta
allative		deliriumille	deliriumeille
essive		deliriumina	deliriumeina
translative		deliriumiksi	deliriumeiksi
abessive		deliriumitta	deliriumeitta
instructive		—	deliriumein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of delirium (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative deliriumini deliriumini accusative nom. deliriumini deliriumini gen. deliriumini genitive deliriumini deliriumieni partitive deliriumiani deliriumejani inessive deliriumissani deliriumeissani elative deliriumistani deliriumeistani illative deliriumiini deliriumeihini adessive deliriumillani deliriumeillani ablative deliriumiltani deliriumeiltani allative deliriumilleni deliriumeilleni essive deliriuminani deliriumeinani translative deliriumikseni deliriumeikseni abessive deliriumittani deliriumeittani instructive — — comitative — deliriumeineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative deliriumisi deliriumisi accusative nom. deliriumisi deliriumisi gen. deliriumisi genitive deliriumisi deliriumiesi partitive deliriumiasi deliriumejasi inessive deliriumissasi deliriumeissasi elative deliriumistasi deliriumeistasi illative deliriumiisi deliriumeihisi adessive deliriumillasi deliriumeillasi ablative deliriumiltasi deliriumeiltasi allative deliriumillesi deliriumeillesi essive deliriuminasi deliriumeinasi translative deliriumiksesi deliriumeiksesi abessive deliriumittasi deliriumeittasi instructive — — comitative — deliriumeinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative deliriumimme deliriumimme accusative nom. deliriumimme deliriumimme gen. deliriumimme genitive deliriumimme deliriumiemme partitive deliriumiamme deliriumejamme inessive deliriumissamme deliriumeissamme elative deliriumistamme deliriumeistamme illative deliriumiimme deliriumeihimme adessive deliriumillamme deliriumeillamme ablative deliriumiltamme deliriumeiltamme allative deliriumillemme deliriumeillemme essive deliriuminamme deliriumeinamme translative deliriumiksemme deliriumeiksemme abessive deliriumittamme deliriumeittamme instructive — — comitative — deliriumeinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative deliriuminne deliriuminne accusative nom. deliriuminne deliriuminne gen. deliriuminne genitive deliriuminne deliriumienne partitive deliriumianne deliriumejanne inessive deliriumissanne deliriumeissanne elative deliriumistanne deliriumeistanne illative deliriumiinne deliriumeihinne adessive deliriumillanne deliriumeillanne ablative deliriumiltanne deliriumeiltanne allative deliriumillenne deliriumeillenne essive deliriuminanne deliriumeinanne translative deliriumiksenne deliriumeiksenne abessive deliriumittanne deliriumeittanne instructive — — comitative — deliriumeinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative deliriuminsa deliriuminsa accusative nom. deliriuminsa deliriuminsa gen. deliriuminsa genitive deliriuminsa deliriumiensa partitive deliriumiaan deliriumiansa deliriumejaan deliriumejansa inessive deliriumissaan deliriumissansa deliriumeissaan deliriumeissansa elative deliriumistaan deliriumistansa deliriumeistaan deliriumeistansa illative deliriumiinsa deliriumeihinsa adessive deliriumillaan deliriumillansa deliriumeillaan deliriumeillansa ablative deliriumiltaan deliriumiltansa deliriumeiltaan deliriumeiltansa allative deliriumilleen deliriumillensa deliriumeilleen deliriumeillensa essive deliriuminaan deliriuminansa deliriumeinaan deliriumeinansa translative deliriumikseen deliriumiksensa deliriumeikseen deliriumeiksensa abessive deliriumittaan deliriumittansa deliriumeittaan deliriumeittansa instructive — — comitative — deliriumeineen deliriumeinensa

Further reading

• “delirium”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 14 May 2026

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch delirium, from Latin dēlīrium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /de.li.ˈri.ʊm/
• Rhymes: -ʊm
• Hyphenation: de‧li‧ri‧um

Noun

delirium (plural delirium-delirium)

1. (psychiatry) delirium

Derived terms

• delirium emosional
• delirium mental
• delirium tremens

Further reading

• “delirium”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016
• Mien Achmad Rifai; Nawangsari Sugiri; Sumitro Sunitiyono (1990), Kamus Biologi: Fisiologi [Dictionary of Biology: Physiology] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, →ISBN, page 19

Latin

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *de

Proto-Indo-European *-h₁

Proto-Indo-European *déh₁

Proto-Italic *dē

Latin dē

Latin dē-

Proto-Indo-European *leys-

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂

Proto-Indo-European *lóyseh₂

Proto-Italic *loizā

Latin līra

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin dēlīrō

Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós

Proto-Italic *-ijos

Proto-Italic *-ios

Old Latin -ios

Latin -ius

Latin -ium

Latin dēlīrium

From dēlīrō (“to deviate from a straight track; to be crazy or deranged”) + -ium (nominal suffix).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [deːˈliː.ri.ũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [deˈliː.ri.um]

Noun

dēlīrium n (genitive dēlīriī or dēlīrī); second declension

1. (medicine) Delirium, madness, frenzy.

   Synonyms: dēlīrātiō, dēlīritās

   • c. 47 C.E., Aulus Cornelius Celsus, De Medicina, 2.7.28:

     […] aut quī febre aequē nōn quiēscente simul et dēlīrio et spīrandī difficultāte vexātur […]

     […] or when, likewise without the fever subsiding, he is distressed at once by delirium and difficulty in breathing […]

Inflection

Second-declension noun (neuter).

	singular	plural
nominative	dēlīrium	dēlīria
genitive	dēlīriī dēlīrī1	dēlīriōrum
dative	dēlīriō	dēlīriīs
accusative	dēlīrium	dēlīria
ablative	dēlīriō	dēlīriīs
vocative	dēlīrium	dēlīria

¹Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

Related terms

• dēlīrāmentum
• dēlīrātiō
• dēlīritās
• dēlīrō
• dēlīrus

Descendants

Descendants

• >? Asturian: deleres
• Catalan: deler, → deliri
• → Asturian: deliriu
• → Bulgarian: дели́р (delír)
• → Catalan: deliri
• → Czech: delirium
• → Danish: delirium
• → Dutch: delier, delirium
• → English: delirium
• → Esperanto: deliro
• → Estonian: deliirium
• → Finnish: delirium
• → French: délire, delirium
  • → Romanian: delir
• → German: Delirium
• → Hungarian: delírium
• → Ido: deliro
• → Interlingua: delirio
• → Italian: delirio
• → Northern Kurdish: delîriyûm
• → Norwegian: delirium, dille
• → Polish: delirium
• → Portuguese: delírio
• → Russian: дели́рий (delírij)
• → Serbo-Croatian: делиријум
• → Slovak: delírium
• → Spanish: delirio, delírium
• → Swedish: delirium
• → Turkish: deliriyum

References

• “delirium”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin dēlīrium.

Noun

delirium n (definite singular deliriet, indefinite plural delirier, definite plural deliria or deliriene)

1. a delirium

References

• “delirium” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin dēlīrium.

Noun

delirium n (definite singular deliriet, indefinite plural delirium, definite plural deliria)

1. a delirium

References

• “delirium” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *de

Proto-Indo-European *-h₁

Proto-Indo-European *déh₁

Proto-Italic *dē

Latin dē

Latin dē-

Proto-Indo-European *leys-

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂

Proto-Indo-European *lóyseh₂

Proto-Italic *loizā

Latin līra

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ājō

Proto-Italic *-āō

Latin -ō

Latin dēlīrō

Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós

Proto-Italic *-ijos

Proto-Italic *-ios

Old Latin -ios

Latin -ius

Latin -ium

Latin dēlīriumlbor.

Polish delirium

Learned borrowing from Latin dēlīrium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɛˈli.rjum/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -irjum
• Syllabification: de‧li‧rium

Noun

delirium n

1. (pathology) delirium (mental state of confusion)

   Synonym: majaczenie

Declension

Declension of delirium

	singular	plural
nominative	delirium	deliria
genitive	delirium	deliriów
dative	delirium	deliriom
accusative	delirium	deliria
instrumental	delirium	deliriami
locative	delirium	deliriach
vocative	delirium	deliria

Derived terms

adjective

• deliryczny

nouns

• delirka
• deliryk

verb

• delirować

Related terms

noun

• delirium tremens

Further reading

• “delirium”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “delirium”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēlīrium.

Noun

delirium n

1. delirium

   Synonym: (colloquial) dille

Declension

Declension of delirium

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	delirium	deliriums
	definite	deliriet	deliriets
plural	indefinite	delirier	deliriers
	definite	delirierna	deliriernas