Erotoman - who is this? This is a word that is associated with concepts such as Eros, erotica. It must be considered from two points of view. The first of them is connected with medical terminology, and the second concerns the understanding of the word in a figurative sense and is associated with an extreme degree of enthusiasm. More information about who this is an erotomaniac will be described later.
What is said in the dictionary?
The following definition of "erotomaniac" is proposed there. This is the man who suffers from erotomania, while possessing a very high sexual excitability.
In turn, erotomania is characterized in the dictionary as love insanity, which is one of the types of primary madness or paranoia.
The word "erotomaniac" consists of two parts. The first of them, “erot,” comes from “erotica,” and the second “man,” from “mania.” Next, each of these concepts will be considered separately.
Erotica
Among the interpretations of this word are the following:
- Sexuality, sex drive, sensuality.
- The complex of everything related to the manifestation of sensuality, with sexual attractiveness. This applies to appearance, demeanor, intimate relationships.
- Particular attention shown by erotomania to the photo, image and description of the naked body and the relationship between the sexes. In the works of mass culture, in conversations it is a topic that has a sexual orientation.
- The collective name of works of art and literature, saturated with sensuality, dedicated to the image and description of manifestations of sexuality, sex drive.
The origin of the word "erotica"
The noun "erotica" originates in the ancient Greek language. There is an adjective ἐρωτικός, meaning "love," "passionate," "in love." It was formed from the ancient Greek noun ἔρως - "love, passion." The latter comes from the verb ἐράω, which is translated into Russian as “longing”, “loving”.
The indicated verb has a direct connection with the god of love Erot (Eros) present in Greek mythology. He is a constant companion and assistant to the goddess of love Aphrodite and personifies the love affair, which ensures the continuation of life on the planet.
In a number of European languages, the word was formed through the Latin eroticus. In Russian, it appeared at the beginning of the 19th century, according to one version, from the French érotique, and according to another, from the German Erotik.
In order to better understand that this is an erotomaniac, it would be advisable to consider the second component of this token.
Mania
In the dictionary, the meaning of this word is described as follows.
- The first of its interpretations is a medical term for mental disorder. It is a mental state in which consciousness and feelings are focused on any one idea.
- The second speaks of the use of the word in a figurative sense, when it means a strong addiction to something, an extreme degree of enthusiasm.
Etymology of the word "mania"
According to linguists, the term "mania" has its roots in the ancient Indian language. It has the verb manyate, which means "think," "think." From him came the ancient Greek verb μαίνομαι, the meaning of which is "to rave," "to be angry," to "go crazy," to "rage."
From the latter, an ancient Greek noun μανία was formed, meaning "madness", "rabies", "mental illness", as well as "delight". By borrowing from the ancient Greek word passed into the Latin language, where it acquired the form of mania, in the same meaning. From Latin it “migrated” to many European languages. According to one version, it got into the Russian language in the XVIII century, being borrowed from Polish, where the word mania is.
Pronunciation and spelling rules
The correct spelling of the word "erotomaniac" is often difficult. This is due to the fact that his pronunciation does not match his spelling.
In the second syllable, the presence of the letter “o” is explained by its presence in the word “erotica”, from which the studied word is formed and which is a test word. In the third syllable, the letter “o” is written according to the rule according to which it is a connecting vowel between the two components - “erot” and “man”.
Next, you should turn directly to the concepts of “erotomaniac” and “erotomania”.
One of the varieties
It is about it that people are talking about when doctors talk about erotomania, which is a delusional belief that a person loves a person who, in fact, does not have absolutely no feelings for him. Sometimes she does not even suspect about its existence. This species has its own name - “Clerambo erotomania”. It is often observed in psychoses. As a rule, this is characteristic of diseases such as schizophrenia and the manic phase of bipolar disorder.
It seems to the patient that the one who is the object of erotomania shows his attention to him in an unusual way. These can be special characters, secret signals that are transmitted through telepathy or using encrypted messages in the media.
Erotomaniaans usually respond to such “messages,” responding to imaginary attachment by sending letters, phone calls, gifts, personal visits, and more. They are not convinced of the illusory nature of love and the denial of its existence by the object. Patients interpret this fact as one of the techniques inherent in a complex strategy, the use of which is necessary to hide secret relationships from the outside world.
Delirium of a lonely woman
Erotic delirium was first described by the French psychiatrist Clerambault, who lived at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, in one of his works in 1921. In addition to the above, it bears such names as "delirium of love charm", "Clerambo syndrome."
Most often, a lonely woman acts as his subject. She believes that a person living in higher social spheres has fallen in love with her. An imaginary fan is usually out of range. This is a person standing on a higher level of the public ladder, or a famous actor, singer, politician, public figure.
According to Clerambo's description, a woman embraced by crazy passion believes that it was the “object” that first fell in love with her, that he loves more or only he loves. This gives her a sense of pride and satisfaction. The patient is convinced that a man cannot communicate with her directly for a number of reasons, and therefore he is forced to invent different paradoxical and contradictory methods.
An erotic woman sometimes very annoys the “object” of her painful passion. At the same time, she shows extreme perseverance and is immune to reality. For some patients, loving delirium turns into a persecution mania. They are ready to insult the “object”, and publicly accuse it.
Clerambo says that their hope is replaced by disappointment, followed by indignation, which turns into aggression. Clarembo Syndrome is most accurately demonstrated in artistic terms in a novel by British writer Ian Russell McEwan, prize winner S. Maugham and Bookerowska, entitled Unbearable Love.
In conclusion, considering the fact that this is erotomania, it is worth noting that this word also refers to hypersexuality. It is understood as sexual desire, considered by specialists as increased, as well as sexual activity associated with this manifestation. Sometimes it is accompanied by perversions. At the same time, the term “nymphomania” is applied to women, and “satyriasis” to men.