haphephobia
Mar. 31st, 2010 07:18 amhaphephobia (haf-eh-FOH-bee-ə) - n., a morbid fear of touching.
Also spelled aphephobia, haphophobia, hapnophobia, haptephobia, and haptophobia, also called thixophobia -- which first seems to be the most common term. All of the former are coined from variations on Greek ἁφή (haphe), touch, which also gave us a bunch of hapto- words. Can include fear of touching someone as much as being touched.
---L.
Also spelled aphephobia, haphophobia, hapnophobia, haptephobia, and haptophobia, also called thixophobia -- which first seems to be the most common term. All of the former are coined from variations on Greek ἁφή (haphe), touch, which also gave us a bunch of hapto- words. Can include fear of touching someone as much as being touched.
---L.