Zombiism
/ˈzɒm.bi.ɪ.zəm/noun
Belief in or fascination with zombies; zombie-like behavior or condition.
Did you know?The root word zombie entered English through Caribbean and Afro-diasporic traditions, where it was linked to a dead person revived or controlled by magic, not the pop-culture flesh-eater we know today.
Etymological Timeline
19th Century
English
zombiism
“The state, practice, or condition associated with zombies or zombie-like behavior.”
18th–19th Century
English
zombie / zombi
“A reanimated corpse or a person under supernatural control.”
18th Century
French/English
zombi
“A corpse revived by sorcery; a being thought to be under magical compulsion.”
18th Century
African Diaspora / Caribbean
nzambi / zumbi (related forms)
“Terms associated with spirits, gods, or the dead in African and Afro-Caribbean religious contexts.”
Unknown precolonial roots
Bantu languages
nzambi
“A god, spirit, or divine being in some Central African languages.”