idiosyncrasy

English

WOTD – 17 September 2009

Etymology

First attested in 1604, in modern sense since 1665, from Ancient Greek ἰδιοσυγκρασία (idiosunkrasía, “one’s own temperament”), from ἴδιος (ídios, “one’s own”) + σύν (sún, “together”) + κρᾶσις (krâsis, “temperament”). Analyzable as idio- +‎ syn- +‎ -crasy.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɪdɪəʊˈsɪŋkɹəsi/, /ˌɪdɪəˈsɪŋkɹəsi/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɪdiəˈsɪŋkɹəsi/, /ˌɪdioʊˈsɪŋkɹəsi/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: idio‧syn‧crasy

Noun

idiosyncrasy (plural idiosyncrasies)

1. A behavior or way of thinking that is characteristic of a person.
2. A language or behaviour that is particular to an individual or group.
3. (medicine) A peculiar individual reaction to a generally innocuous substance or factor.
4. A peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify.

   He mastered the idiosyncrasies of English spelling and speech.

Synonyms

The terms below need to be checked and allocated to the definitions (senses) of the headword above. Each term should appear in the sense for which it is appropriate. For synonyms and antonyms you may use the templates {{syn|en|...}} or {{ant|en|...}}.

• eccentricity
• foible
• habit
• mannerism
• oddity
• quirk
• vagary

Derived terms

• idiosyncratic
• idiosyncratically

Translations

way of behaving or thinking

• Bulgarian: индивидуалност (bg) f (individualnost), начин на мислене (bg) (način na mislene)
• Catalan: idiosincràsia (ca) f
• Danish: idiosynkratisk c
• Dutch: eigenheid (nl), eigenaardigheid (nl) f
• Esperanto: idiosinkrazio
• Finnish: omalaatuisuus (fi)
• French: idiosyncrasie (fr) f
• German: Eigenheit (de) f, Eigenart (de) f, Eigensinn (de) m
• Greek: ιδιοσυγκρασία (el) f (idiosygkrasía), νοοτροπία (el) f (nootropía)

  Ancient: ἰδιοσυγκρασία f (idiosunkrasía)

• Hungarian: please add this translation if you can
• Italian: idiosincrasia (it) f, mania (it) f, fissazione (it) f
• Japanese: 個性 (ja) (kosei), 特異体質 (tokuitaishitsu)
• Polish: osobliwość (pl) n, dziwactwo (pl) n, idiosynkrazja (pl) f
• Portuguese: idiossincrasia (pt) f
• Romanian: particularitate (ro) f, idiosincrazie
• Russian: идиосинкрази́я (ru) f (idiosinkrazíja)
• Spanish: idiosincrasia (es) f
• Swedish: egenart (sv) c, egenhet (sv) c, egenskap (sv) c
• Turkish: ayrıklılık, huy (tr), kişisel özellik, tuhaflık (tr), mizaç (tr), tabiat (tr)
• Ukrainian: ідіосинкразія f (idiosynkrazija)
• Yiddish: אידיאָסינקראַסי (idyosinkrasi)

language or behaviour particular to an individual or a group

• Catalan: idiosincràsia (ca) f
• Dutch: jargon (nl), eigenaardigheid (nl) f
• French: idiosyncrasie (fr) f
• German: Eigenheit (de) f, Eigenart (de) f, Idiosynkrasie (de) f
• Italian: idiosincrasia (it) f
• Polish: idiosynkrazja (pl) f
• Portuguese: idiossincrasia (pt) f
• Romanian: trăsătură (ro) f
• Russian: отличи́тельная осо́бенность f (otličítelʹnaja osóbennostʹ), отличи́тельная черта́ f (otličítelʹnaja čertá)
• Spanish: idiosincrasia (es) f

(medicine) individual reaction to a generally innocuous substance

• Catalan: idiosincràsia (ca) f
• Danish: overfølsomhed c, (rare) idiosynkrasi c
• Dutch: idiosyncrasie (nl), overgevoeligheid (nl)
• Estonian: ülitundlikkus
• Finnish: idiosynkrasia, yliherkkyys (fi)
• French: idiosyncrasie (fr) f
• German: Idiosynkrasie (de) f
• Greek: ευαισθησία (el) f (evaisthisía)
• Italian: idiosincrasia (it) f, insofferenza (it) f, intolleranza (it) f
• Persian: فردویژگی (fa) (fard-vižegi)
• Polish: idiosynkrazja (pl) f
• Portuguese: idiossincrasia (pt) f
• Romanian: idiosincrasie (ro) f
• Russian: идиосинкрази́я (ru) f (idiosinkrazíja)
• Serbo-Croatian: idiosinkrazija (sh) f
• Swedish: idiosynkrasi (sv) c

peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 特性 (zh) (tèxìng)

• Danish: særhed c, særegenhed c, særpræg n, idiosynkrasi c
• Dutch: kenmerk (nl) n, eigenaardigheid (nl) f
• Finnish: ominaispiirre (fi)
• French: idiosyncrasie (fr) f
• German: Eigenheit (de) f, Eigenart (de) f, besonderes Merkmal n
• Greek: ιδιοσυγκρασία (el) f (idiosygkrasía)
• Hungarian: jellemző sajátosság, egyéni sajátosság
• Italian: idiosincrasia (it) f, avversione (it) f
• Japanese: 特性 (ja) (tokusei)
• Norwegian: særegenhet m
• Plautdietsch: Ieejenschoft f
• Portuguese: idiossincrasia (pt) f
• Romanian: caracteristică (ro) f, particularitate (ro) f
• Russian: отличи́тельная осо́бенность f (otličítelʹnaja osóbennostʹ), отличи́тельная черта́ f (otličítelʹnaja čertá)
• Turkish: huy (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} אידיוסינקרטיות f (idiosynkretiyut)
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} egenhet (sv)

See also

See also

• eccentricity
• habit
• peculiarity
• speciality
• specialness
• specialty
• trait

 

References

• “idiosyncrasy”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “idiosyncrasy”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.