Warmest of welcomes to you, word whisperers! Welcome to today’s episode of An Assemblage of Grandiose and Bombastic Grandiloquents. Shut those windows, secure all loose objects, and pin back that gorgeous hair of yours, because today’s word is: anemophobia.

Anemophobia is the extreme fear of air drafts and winds. People who have this fear tend to fear weather changes, such as storms and cold fronts because they could contain wind drafts or strong winds. It is extremely rare and treatable, but can cause panic attacks for those are anemophobic, and can affect normal daily activities such as going outside. This phobia is most commonly the result of psychological trauma caused by a negative experience with wind in the afflicted person's past.

The word's origins are Greek, where ‘anemo’ means ‘air or wind’ and ‘phobia’, of course, meaning ‘fear’. Related words include ‘ancraophobia’, which is also the fear of wind, and ‘aerophobia’, which is the fear of air, wind or swallowing air or airborne substances. There is also the word ‘anemophilous’, which in botany refers to a plant that is wind-pollinated, which means that it is fertilised by wind-borne pollen or spores. Furthermore, an anemoscope is a device invented to show the direction of the wind, or to foretell a change of wind direction or weather. You get the idea.

Like many phobias, anemophobia, and in particular the fear of severe storms, is relatively common in young children. Phobias are typically not diagnosed officially in children unless they persist for at least six months. Professionals suggest positive activities for children who might be anemophobic, or afraid of wind, such as flying kites, playing with sailboats, or talking about how fun it is to have the wind blow through your hair. Go on, try it. I dare you.

Isn’t language wonderful?

Written by Taylor Davidson, Read by Zane C Weber

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