Aimonomia

close-up of a plant with lights glowing in background

Aimonomia

n.
the fear that learning the name of something—a bird, a constellation, an attractive stranger—will somehow ruin it, inadvertently transforming a lucky discovery into a conceptual husk pinned in a glass case, leaving one less mystery fluttering around in the universe.

French aimer, to love + nom, name. A palindrome. Pronounced “eym-uh-nohm-ee-uh.”

Furosha

a storm raging in the sky over a building

Nodrophobia

close-up of a stained shirt

Achenia

a close-up of a bottle with an organic object inside

Wollah

a person with shapes raining on them

Knellish

a blurry image of a person lying on a bed

Starlorn

snow flakes in the dark

Evertheless

a person floating in water

Rookish

a stone tower with a person seated on top

Elosy

a blurry image of a person in a subway car

Arroia

people standing on a stage

Dystoria

close up of water drops on a window

Aimonomia

close-up of a plant with lights glowing in background

Moriturism

a person resting in the back seat of a car

Mogging Folly

a person sitting on a bench

Suerza

a tunnel with a light emanating from the end

Galagog

a person alone in a snowy desolate landscape

Nemotia

a city with clouds of smoke

Future-Tense

a person looking at their reflection

Occhiolism

Cover image for the Occhiolism word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Manusia

Cover image for the Manusia word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Anderance

Cover image for the Anderance word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Anecdoche

Cover image for the Anecdoche word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Inerrata

a hand holding a broken cup

Latigo

aerial view of a city at night

Etherness

Cover image for the Etherness word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Ludiosis

Cover image for the Ludiosis word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Ioia

Cover image for the Ioia word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows