Noctambulatio

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state or act of walking during sleep, typically without conscious awareness
2. The condition in which an individual engages in ambulation while in a somnolent state, often resulting in no memory of the event
3. An occurrence characterized by performing walking activities while asleep, commonly referred to as sleepwalking

Etymology: Latin speakers built this term from two plain parts: "nox," meaning night, and "ambulare," meaning to walk. That same verb also lies behind English "amble" and "perambulate." The ending "-atio" turns the verb into a noun of action, so the literal sense is roughly "a night-walking." The term is a close relative of "somnambulism," which pairs the same "ambulare" with "somnus," meaning sleep. Both describe the same condition but emphasise different things: one points to the darkness in which the walking usually happens, the other to the sleep itself.

Synonyms: sleepwalking