somniloquist
1
9.9
- noun
- /sɑːmˈnɪləkwɪst/
- Specialized
- My brother is a somniloquist and often holds entire conversations while asleep.
Examples
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My brother is a somniloquist.
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The doctor explained that being a somniloquist is harmless but can be surprising for family members.
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Have you ever met a somniloquist who reveals secrets in their sleep?
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Many somniloquists talk about their dreams.
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My brother is a somniloquist; he often talks in his sleep about his day.
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The doctor explained that a somniloquist might not remember their nighttime conversations.
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During the sleep study, they discovered that she was a somniloquist, frequently chatting while asleep.
Surface Forms
Morphology
somniloquist = somniloquy (opaque) = somni + loqu + ist
Formed from Latin combining forms 'somni-' and 'loqu-' plus the agentive suffix '-ist'; the combining forms are not standalone English words, so learners cannot reliably infer meaning from components.
Etymology
Somniloquist comes from the Latin words somnus 'sleep' and loqui 'to speak'. So it literally means someone who 'speaks in sleep', in other words a 'sleeptalker'.