wasiwasi

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic وَسْوَاس (waswās).[1]

Pronunciation
  • Audio (Kenya)(file)

Noun

wasiwasi (u class, no plural)

  1. worry, anxiety, confusion

References
  1. Baldi, Sergio (2020 November 30) Dictionary of Arabic Loanwords in the Languages of Central and East Africa (Handbuch der Orientalistik; Erste Abteilung: Der Nahe und der Mittlere Osten; 145), Leiden • Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 305 Nr. 2935
  • Beckerleg, Susan (1994 September) “Medical Pluralism and Islam in Swahili Communities in Kenya”, in Medical Anthropology Quarterly‎, volume 8, number 3, page 307 of 299-313:
    Blood is associated with strength, loudness, and speed. Weak blood causes bodily weakness and also induces psychological symptoms such as paranoia, hypochondria, and general anxiety, collectively known as wasi-wasi, a term derived from the Arabic meaning "whispering," which neatly summarizes the disquiet of the sufferer.
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