Panic
Sudden overwhelming fear
Language Origin
Greek
Entered English
17thth century
The Story Behind the Word
Panic comes directly from the Greek god Pan — the god of the wild, shepherds, and nature, known for his goat legs, horns, and pipe music.
Ancient Greeks believed that Pan would sometimes appear unexpectedly in forests and cause sudden, inexplicable terror in travelers. This irrational fear associated with the god's surprising appearance became known as panikon deima (fear of Pan) — shortened to panikon and eventually to panic in English.
The word entered English via French panique in the early 17th century. Pan's name may itself come from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to feed" (as a god of herds) — or from the Greek paein (to graze).
Example in Context
"When the fire alarm went off, there was a moment of panic before everyone calmly evacuated."
Did You Know?
Pan also gives us "pandemonium" (via Milton's Paradise Lost, where it named the capital of Hell, home of all demons — "pan" + "daimon").