Logolepsy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A rare psychological condition marked by an obsessive fixation on words and speech, sometimes shown as a compulsive urge to talk
2. An unusual mental state in which a person becomes fixated on words, their sounds and their meanings to a pathological degree
3. A pathological mania for speech and verbal expression, in which the sufferer is compelled to dwell on language constantly

Etymology: "Logolepsy" is a compound built from two Greek-derived elements. The first, "logo-", comes from Greek "logos", meaning word, speech or reason. The second, "-lepsy", comes from Greek "lēpsis", a seizing or taking hold, and is the same element found in "epilepsy" and "narcolepsy". Put together, the word describes a state in which words seize hold of a person. The construction is transparent, and the term is a modern technical coinage built from classical parts rather than a word the ancient Greeks themselves used. Its meaning follows directly from its parts: an overwhelming, compulsive preoccupation with particular words or with the act of speaking.