somnambulism
1
9.9
- noun
- /sɑmˈnæmbjʊˌlɪzəm/
- Specialized
:
somnambulismo
- Nocturnal somnambulism.
Examples
-
They begin as innocent somnambulism, the shifting of shoes.
Academic text (2004) -
This somnambulism is becoming a problem... ...especially for those of us with a penchant for sleeping at night.
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In mild cases of somnambulism... sleepwalking... it is brought on by a congestion of the blood.
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A young woman exhibiting protracted fits of somnambulism.
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With the man's extensive history of somnambulism, he was acquitted of murder charges by a Canadian jury.
Academic text (2006) -
The family doctor thinks Regan suffers from somnambulism and "clinic spasms" or some "hyperkinetic behavior disorder."
Academic text (2014) -
During her episode of somnambulism, she wandered into the kitchen without waking up.
-
Many children outgrow somnambulism by their teenage years, often without any treatment.
-
His somnambulism caused concern for his family, as he would often leave the house in the middle of the night.
Synonyms
11
3.9
Walking or doing other things while asleep and not remembering it later
Walking while asleep and not aware of it
A sleep condition in which a person walks while they are asleep
To walk while you are asleep
Walking or doing things while asleep without knowing it
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
somnambulism = somnambulate (opaque) = somn + ambul + ism
The base word 'somnambulate' and its components are formed from Latin combining forms ('somn-' and 'ambul-') that are not recognizable to average learners, so the relation to 'sleepwalking' is not directly inferable.
Etymology
The word somnambulism comes from two Latin parts: somn- 'sleep' and ambul- 'to walk', the same root you see in the English word amble ('walk slowly'). So somnambulism really means 'sleep-walking', which is why it refers to the act of walking while asleep.