Etymologically
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amok

Etymology and origin of the English word amok

History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /əˈmɒk/, /əˈmʌk/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Malay amok (“attacking furiously”).[2][3][4] It was first known in the Portuguese forms amouco and amuco.[5][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A name for a Malay in a murderous frenzy (about 1516, in Portuguese form).[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The verbal phrase run amok is recorded in the 1670s,[2][3][5] originally meaning to run about in a frenzy for blood.[5] By 1689 it was used figuratively for acting wildly or heedlessly;[5] it now usually describes anything out of control.[3][1] The noun for the frenzy itself dates from 1849.[5]

Timeline

  • about 1516 – a frenzied Malay (Portuguese amouco).[5][2]
  • 1665 – noun, a murderous frenzy.[3]
  • 1672 – run amok, to run about in a murderous frenzy.[5][3]
  • 1689 – figurative, wildly or heedlessly.[5]
  • 1944 – as an adjective.[3]

Modern meaning

Adverb

  1. In a murderous or violent frenzy.
  2. In a wild, uncontrolled or undisciplined way.

Noun

  1. A sudden murderous frenzy, traditionally associated with Malay culture.

Usage notes

It is used almost only in the phrase run amok.[1] The variant amuck is also standard.[3][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Amok.” Etymologically, 10 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/amok. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on .