tarantism
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈtɛrəntɪzəm/
- Archaic
- The villagers believed that tarantism was caused by a spider bite.
Examples
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Many historical accounts describe tarantism as a dance mania.
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The legend of tarantism fascinated many, with reports of victims dancing wildly to cure themselves.
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In the 17th century, outbreaks of tarantism led to community-wide dance rituals in southern Italy.
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Some historians suggest that tarantism was a social phenomenon rather than a genuine medical condition.
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The villagers believed that dancing wildly could cure the strange condition known as tarantism.
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In the past, people thought that tarantism was triggered by a spider's bite, causing an irresistible need to dance.
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During the festival, some participants were said to experience tarantism, leading them to dance uncontrollably for hours.
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
tarantism = tarantula (semi-transparent) = tarant + ism
The word transparently names a condition associated with a spider ('tarantula' + '-ism'), but the specific symptom 'an uncontrollable urge to dance' is a culturally specific/historical meaning not directly deducible from the base.
Etymology
Tarantism comes from the Italian city Taranto and the spider called a tarantula, because people long ago believed a spider 'bite' could make someone start to dance. So, tarantism names that strange nervous condition with a strong need to 'dance', a connection you can also see in the dance name tarantella.