glossolalia

[glos-uh-ley-lee-uh, glaw-suh-]

noun

incomprehensible speech in an imaginary language, sometimes occurring in a trance state, an episode of religious ecstasy, or schizophrenia.

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 of glossolalia

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

British Dictionary definitions for glossolalia

glossolalia

noun

another term for gift of tongues
psychol babbling in a nonexistent language

Word Origin for glossolalia

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

"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.

glossolalia in Medicine

glossolalia

[glô′sə-lā′lē-ə]

Fabricated, nonmeaningful speech, especially associated with trances or certain schizophrenic syndromes.