Originally Posted By: Faldage
 Originally Posted By: etaoin
agoraphobia |ˌagərəˈfōbēə|
noun
extreme or irrational fear of crowded spaces or enclosed public places.
DERIVATIVES
agoraphobic |-ˈfōbik| adjective & noun
agoraphobe |ˈagərəˌfōb| noun
ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from Greek agora ‘place of assembly, marketplace’ + -phobia .

What dictionary is that from, eta?

AHD has "An abnormal fear of open or public places. Even the B&M OED has it as the fear of squares or open spaces with no mention of people or crowds.


What do you think public means? It's not the space itself an agoraphobic fears, but the public nature of the space. Maybe there is a condition of fearing being in a wide open space, the opposite of claustrophobia, but it isn't agoraphobia. A marketplace is a busy place full of people, not an empty space.

Last edited by The Pook; 03/29/08 12:01 PM.