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glossolalia

[glos-uh-ley-lee-uh, glaw-suh-]
noun
  1. incomprehensible speech in an imaginary language, sometimes occurring in a trance state, an episode of religious ecstasy, or schizophrenia.
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Compare speaking in tongues.

Origin of glossolalia

First recorded in 1875–80; glosso- + -lalia
Related formsglos·sol·a·list [glo-sol-uh-list, glaw-] /glɒˈsɒl ə lɪst, glɔ-/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for glossolalia

Historical Examples

  • Besides, we find in Lola's case a high degree of glossolalia.

    Lola

    Henny Kindermann

British Dictionary definitions for glossolalia

glossolalia

noun
  1. another term for gift of tongues
  2. psychol babbling in a nonexistent language
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Word Origin

C19: New Latin, from glosso- + Greek lalein to speak, babble
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for glossolalia

n.

"speaking in tongues," 1879, from Greek glossa "tongue, language" (see gloss (n.2)) + lalia "talk, prattle, a speaking," from lalein "to speak, prattle," of echoic origin.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
glossolalia in Medicine

glossolalia

(glô′sə-lā′lē-ə)
n.
  1. Fabricated, nonmeaningful speech, especially associated with trances or certain schizophrenic syndromes.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.