ailurophobia

English

Alternative forms

• aelurophobia, ailourophobia, elurophobia

Etymology

First recorded in 1905. From ailuro- (“cat”) +‎ -phobia (“fear, hatred”), both from Ancient Greek.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌaɪljʊəɹəˈfəʊbɪ.ə/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /aɪˌlʊɹəˈfoʊbi.ə/, /eɪˌlʊɹəˈfoʊbi.ə/

Noun

ailurophobia (usually uncountable, plural ailurophobias)

1. An irrational fear or hatred of cats or other felines.

   Synonyms: felinophobia, gatophobia, (uncommon) galeophobia

   Antonym: ailurophilia

   • 1906, Charles H. Hughes, “Psychoencephalonasthenia or Cerebrasthenia Simplex, and Psychoencephalonasthenia or Cerebrasthenia Insaniens”, in The Alienist and Neurologist, volume 27, St. Louis, Mo.: Henry L. Hughes, page 166:

     Ailourophobia†, (Katiphobia, or Gatophobia,) is a typical monomania. The fear of cats in certain monopsychoneurotic and psychopathic persons dates back to the beginning of the life of the feline.

   • 1920, Carl Can Vechten, The Tiger In The House, pages 62–63:

     Whatever the cause there are many recorded instances of persons suffering from ailurophobia exhibiting symptoms of distress in rooms which apparently contained no cats; later cats would be discovered, hidden behind curtains or in closets.

Related terms

• ailurophobe
• ailurophobic

Translations

irrational fear or hatred for cats

• Armenian: աիլուրոֆոբիա (ailurofobia)
• Bulgarian: айлурофобия f (ajlurofobija)
• Catalan: aelurofòbia f, ailurofòbia f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 貓恐怖／猫恐怖 (māo kǒngbù), 恐貓症／恐猫症 (kǒng māo zhèng)

• Danish: ailurofobi c
• Dutch: ailurofobie f
• Estonian: kassikartus, ailurofoobia, galeofoobia (et)
• Finnish: ailurofobia (fi), kissakammo
• French: ailurophobie (fr) f, ailourophobie (fr) f, galéphobie (fr) f
• German: Ailurophobie (de) f, Aelurophobie f
• Greek: αιλουροφοβία (el) f (ailourofovía)
• Italian: ailurofobia (it) f, elurofobia f
• Japanese: 猫恐怖症 (ねこきょうふしょう, neko kyōfushō)
• Kannada: ಬೆಕ್ಕಂಜಿಕೆ (kn) (bekkañjike), ಬೆಕ್ಕಿನಂಜಿಕೆ (kn) (bekkinañjike)
• Norwegian: ailurofobi (no) m
• Persian: گُربه‌هراسی (gorbe-harâsi)
• Polish: ailurofobia (pl) f, gatofobia f, felinofobia f, galeofobia f
• Portuguese: elurofobia f, ailurofobia (pt) f, galeofobia f, gatofobia f, catufobia f
• Romanian: ailurofobie f
• Russian: айлурофо́бия (ru) f (ajlurofóbija), галеофо́бия f (galeofóbija), гатофо́бия f (gatofóbija)
• Spanish: elurofobia (es) f, ailurofobia (es) f
• Swedish: ailurofobi (sv) c
• Tamil: பூனையச்சம் (pūṉaiyaccam)
• Thai: อาการกลัวแมว (aa-gaa-rók-luua mɛɛo)
• Turkish: ailurofobi (tr), kedi korkusu (tr)
• Ukrainian: айлурофо́бія f (ajlurofóbija), галеофо́бія f (haleofóbija), гатофо́бія f (hatofóbija)

See also

• Ailuroidea