latah
/ˈlɑːtə/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.60 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A condition found in Malaysia and nearby areas characterised by extreme suggestibility; also, a person suffering from this malady.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Latah is a condition occurring in Southeast Asia. Otherwise sane, Latahs compulsively imitate every motion once their attention is attracted by snapping the fingers or calling sharply."
- "It seemed to Sir Edwin that this patient, a young man who had never set foot outside England, was suffering from an ailment known as latah – common enough in the Malay archipelago but hitherto unknown, so far as the clinical records – admittedly not very reliable – could advise, in the temperate clime of northern Europe."
- "Actually, there is a debate among scholars as to whether the latah condition should be regarded as a culture-related "mental disorder" or merely as an "unusual behavior response" found in some cultures."
Etymology
From Malay latah.
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /ˈlɑːtə/