Words of Fear and Anxiety: From Phobias to Worry

Fear vocabulary spans simple Germanic "fear" to Greek technical "phobia." Psychology borrowed heavily from Greek to create precise terminology for anxiety disorders.

Basic Fear Words

Fear, scared, afraid, dread—Germanic vocabulary for fundamental emotional responses.

Greek Phobias

Phobia, agoraphobia, claustrophobia—Greek "phobos" (fear) creates clinical terminology.

Degrees of Fear

Anxiety, apprehension, terror, panic—graduated vocabulary for intensity of fearful response.

Conclusion

Fear vocabulary reveals how English creates nuanced distinctions through layered etymology from multiple sources.