Somnambulism
/ˌsɒmˈnæm.bjʊ.lɪ.zəm/noun
Sleepwalking; a state of walking or performing actions while asleep.
Did you know?The term was built in modern scientific Latin, but its roots go back to ancient words for sleep and walking that also generated English words like “somnolent” and “amble.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swep-
“to sleep”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂em-bʰ-
“to go, move about”
Latin
Latin
somnus
“sleep”
Latin
Latin
ambulāre
“to walk, go about”
Late Latin / New Latin
Latin
somnambulismus
“sleepwalking”
18th Century
English
somnambulism
“sleepwalking, especially as a medical or psychological phenomenon”
Explore more surprising origins