Bedlamisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state of confusion or uproar characterized by chaotic noise and disorder
2. Expressions or actions that arise from a situation of madness or chaotic disturbance
3. A term reflecting the tumultuous atmosphere typically associated with intense disarray and frenzied activity

Etymology: Bedlamism is a plural noun, so "bedlamisms" is the plural of "bedlamism," a word formed from "Bedlam," the nickname of the Bethlem Royal Hospital in London. That hospital was founded in 1247 as a priory and began admitting the mentally ill in the 14th century, and its name was corrupted from "Bethlehem" into "Bedlam" by the 1500s. By the 17th century, "bedlam" was used on its own for any scene of uproar, and Bethlem's reputation for chaos and public visiting of patients gave the name its lasting sense of madhouse-like confusion. The suffix "-ism" (from Greek "-ismos," meaning a practice, condition, or doctrine) was added to "bedlam" to form "bedlamism." The formation is a modern coinage rather than an ancient one, so it reflects the English-speaking habit of turning a place or institution into a general noun, as with "bedlam" itself. Its plural, "bedlamisms," refers to individual instances of such uproar.