# Addiction, addicted



## ThomasK

How do you say in your language that you have *an addiction to/ are addicted to *... [forum.wordreference.com, for example]?

Dutch: _*verslaving/ verslaafd aan*_ (slaaf = slave)
French: 
- _*accro[ché ?]  à*_, I think (attached, or something the like)
- *dépendant *(de ? )
German: -_*süchtig*_, I think (too strong a longing)


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## ahmedcowon

Arabic:

*addiction to: *الإدمان على (_al-edmaan 3ala_)*addicted to:* مدمن على (_modmen 3ala_)


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## Encolpius

magyar: 

*valaminek a rabja*[lit.: to be the captive/prisoner of something]


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## AquisM

Chinese: 上瘾/上癮 (Mandarin: _shang yin_; Cantonese: seung yan)

The literal and most common meaning of the first character 上 is up/ascend, but it can be used (amongst others) in the sense of put on/develop. The second character means addiction.


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## ThomasK

@ Ahmed: could you explain the *-dm-n *root? 

@AquisM: could you dwell upon this up/ ascend notion, I mean, on the link between that and the phenomenon of addiction? (Building up an addiction ???)


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## AquisM

ThomasK said:


> @AquisM: could you dwell upon this up/ ascend notion, I mean, on the link between that and the phenomenon of addiction? (Building up an addiction ???)


Mmm... I'm not sure. The thing is, many common characters, like this one, have a bunch of meanings, depending on context. While you can make a tenuous link here, we use this verb in 上厕所, which means 'to go to the toilet (厕所)', and I can't think of any connection with up/ascend here, unless you talk about the motion of getting on a toilet...


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## Outsider

In Portuguese

addiction: *vício*, lit. "vice" (sometimes also *adição*, *dependência*)
addicted: *viciado*
drug addict: *toxicodependente*


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## bibax

Czech:*
závislost* = addiction;
*závislý* = addicted;
from the verb *záviseti na* = to depend on, *viseti* = to hang, pendere;

BTW
the Latin noun *addictio* is a legal term (= the awarding or adjudging of the judge);
*addictus* = one who has been given up or made over as servant to his creditor;
from the verb *addicere* = to give one's assent to a thing;


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## apmoy70

In Greek:

*Addiction:*: «Εθισμός» [eθi'zmos] (masc.) < ancient masc. noun «ἐθισμός» ĕtʰi'smŏs --> _accustoming, habituation_ (AG), in MG _addiction_ (only) < neut. noun «ἔθεος» ĕtʰĕŏs & «ἔθος» ĕtʰŏs (in MG ['eθos]) --> _custom, habit_ (PIE *swedʰ-, _custom_; cf Lat. suescere > cōnsuēscō > Vulgar Lat. consuetudo > OF costume, Eng. custom; Proto-Germanic *sedu- > Ger. Sitte).
*Addicted:* Aorist mediopassive participle «εθισμένος, -νη, -νο» [eθi'zmenos] (masc.), [eθi'zmeni] (fem.), [eθi'zmeno] (neut.).
The addicted person is described with the suffix «-μανής» [-ma'nis] (masc. & fem.) as the second element in compounds expressing particular types of addictions < fem. noun «μανία» mă'niă --> _frenzy_ (PIE base *men-, _to think_) e.g. «ερωτομανής» [erotoma'nis] (masc.) --> _addicted to sexual pleasure (for males)_, «νυμφομανής» [nimphoma'nis] (fem.) --> _addicted to sexual pleasure (for females)_, «τοξικομανής» [toksikoma'nis] (masc. & fem.) --> _addicted to substances_ & «ναρκομανής» [narkoma'nis] (masc. & fem.) --> _addicted to narcotics_. For the latter, a modern (and more PC) name is «τοξικοεξαρτώμενος, -νη» [toksiko.eksar'tomenos] (masc.), [toksiko.eksar'tomeni] (fem.) --> _substance-depended _< v. «εξαρτώμαι» [eksar'tome] < ancient «ἐξαρτάομαι/ἐξαρτῶμαι»  ĕksăr'tăŏmæ (uncontracted) / ĕksăr'tōmæ (contracted) --> _to be hung upon, depend upon_


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## ahmedcowon

ThomasK said:


> @ Ahmed: could you explain the *-dm-n *root?



The *دمن d-m-n* root is used to give two meanings

the verb *دمن **/damana/* means "to manure (fertilize using manures)" but this verb's usage is now very rare
the noun "manure" is *دمن /demn/* and the man who fertilizes using manures is *مدمن /modammen/*


the verb *أدمن /admana/* means "to addict"
the noun "addiction" is *إدمان /edmaan/* and the man who is addicted to something is *مدمن /modmen/*


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## ThomasK

Swedish: *misbruk, misbrukare* (abuse, abuser)
Danish: *afhængighed, afhængige *(dependence, dependent)
Norwegian: *avhengighet, stoffmisbruker *(dependence, "stuff"-abuser)

I used Google T for this, but checked via sites...


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## ger4

ThomasK said:


> German: -_*süchtig*_, I think (too strong a longing)





ThomasK said:


> Danish: *afhængighed, afhængige *(dependence, dependent)


In German, _*süchtig*_ can often be used interchangeably with _*abhängig*_ (Danish _afhængig/-e_), and it's hard to define the difference. Likewise, German _*Abhängigkeit*_ can be replaced with _*Sucht*_. (German _abhängig_ and Danish _afhængig_ can also be translated as 'dependent').


Spoiler: German 'süchtig'



_suchen_ (verb): to seek, to search, to look for
_Sucht_ (noun): obsession, addiction
_Droge_ (noun): drug (in German normally referrring to illegal drugs/substances)
_Drogensucht_ (noun): drug addiction
_süchtig_ (adjective): obsessive, addicted
_drogensüchtig_ (adjective): addicted to drugs
_Drogensüchtiger _(noun): drug addict





Spoiler: German 'abhängig'



_ab_ (preposition, prefix): ~ off
_hängen_ (verb): to hang
_abhängen_ (verb): to be addicted, to depend
_abhängig_ (adjective): to be addicted, dependent
_abhängig von_: addicted to, dependent on, depending on
_drogenabhängig_ (adjective) ~ drug-addicted, addicted to drugs
_Drogenabhängiger _(noun): drug addict
_Drogenabhängigkeit_ (noun): drug addiction

_gebrauchen_ (verb): to use
_missbrauchen_ (verb): to misuse, to abuse
_Drogenmissbrauch _(noun): drug abuse





Spoiler: Danish 'afhængig'



_af _(preposition, prefix): ~ off
_hænge_ (verb): to hang
_afhænge_ (verb): to be addicted, (more often): to depend
_afhængig_ (adjective): addicted, dependent, depending
_afhængighed_ (noun): addiction, dependence

As far as I know, expressions related to drug addiction (at  least those expressions I've read and heard in the media) differ from the German pattern:

_mis-_ (prefix): ~ miss-
_bruge_ (verb): to use
_misbruge_ (verb): to misuse, to abuse
_misbrug_ (noun): misuse, abuse
_stof _(noun): substance
_stofmisbrug_ (noun): substance abuse, drug abuse
_stofmisbruger_ (noun): substance abuser, drug abuser

_narko-_: short form of narkotika, often used referring to illegal drugs
_narkoman_ (noun): drug addict (I think it's safe to say that narkoman sounds more informal than stofmisbruger)
_narkopoliti _(noun): police unit in charge of drug-related crimes

_vane_ (noun): habit
_danne_ (verb): to form, to create
_vanedannende_ (adjective): habit-forming --> addictive


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## 810senior

Japanese:
中毒chuu-doku(hit-in poison) addiction, toxicosis
中毒になるchuudoku-ni naru addicted, poisoned lit. to become addition

e.g. 麻薬中毒になる (get crack-addicted) literally
ゲーム中毒 (game-addicted) figuratively

Japanese addiction holds no meaning about being addicted to some girl but about doing or committing something harmful or wicked as a habit.
As for that meaning, we say 虜になる(lit. to get enslaved) or 夢中になる(lit. to get dreamed of, though it seems somewhat weird as English) instead.


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## ThomasK

How interesting: we use the same _slave_ metaphor in Dutch (_verslaafd_)...

@holger: great information, thanks!


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## bazq

In Hebrew the notion of addiction is conveyed by the root מ-כ-ר  m-k-r  "to sell".

"He's addicted to..." = ...הוא מכור ל [hu maxur le...] 
מכור is a passive participle, so it's something like "sold" - "He is sold to..."  

The verb "to get addicted to" is "...התמכר ל" [hitmaker le...], something like "he sold himself to..." .


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## ThomasK

I like the French expression *"scotché à la télé"* too (glued to the tv, based on the brandname Scotch of course...).


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## Gavril

Icelandic:

_fíkn_ "addiction" (noun, feminine)
_fíkill_ "addict" (noun, masculine)
_háður_ "dependent, addicted" (combines with the dative of whatever someone is addicted to)
_vera/verða háður_ "to be/become addicted"


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## ThomasK

Would you recognize a root in _fíkn_ or in _háður_ , something like 'slave', or 'hang' (depend) or ...?


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## SuperXW

ThomasK said:


> @AquisM: could you dwell upon this up/ ascend notion, I mean, on the link between that and the phenomenon of addiction? (Building up an addiction ???)


上(up/over/ascend/get on) in Chinese has developed many usages. In 上瘾, I think you may associate the tendency with "build up", "hook up", "get on", "get high" etc.



AquisM said:


> While you can make a tenuous link here, we use this verb in 上厕所, which means 'to go to the toilet (厕所)', and I can't think of any connection with up/ascend here, unless you talk about the motion of getting on a toilet...


Many people have tried to explain it with traditional culture and Feng-shui. For example, this long Chinese article may have some point.
为什么要叫“上厕所、下厨房”？（原创）


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## Gavril

ThomasK said:


> Would you recognize a root in _fíkn_ or in _háður_ , something like 'slave', or 'hang' (depend) or ...?



The root of _fíkill_ and _fíkn_ is _fík_-, as also seen in the older Icelandic words _fíkr_ "eager, gluttonous" and _fíkjast_ "to desire (something)". To my knowledge, these are unconnected to any words meaning "slave" or "hang".

I am unsure of the etymology of _háður. _Some connect it to the verb _heyja _"hold, conduct" or _há_ "to handicap", but I'm not sure that it couldn't instead be connected to the root seen in English _hang _and its cognates.

Another Icelandic word for this list is _ávani_ "(bad) habit, addiction", formed from the prefix _á_- "on" and _vani_ "habit, custom". _vani_ is from the same root as English _wont,_ a somewhat rare word for "habit" or (as an adjective) "accustomed", and is also connected to German _wohnen_ "dwell", and so on.


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## Dib

ThomasK said:


> How do you say in your language that you have *an addiction to/ are addicted to *... [forum.wordreference.com, for example]?



Bengali:
addiction = nesha (an Arabic loanword, not sure of the original meaning)
addiction to X = X-er nesha (-er = genitive marker)
"be addicted to X" is expressed as "have addiction to X".

In the context of substance abuse, "addicted to X" is commonly expressed as "X-khor", where -khor is originally a Persian element, signifying in this context "eater". All X-khor words, however, sound pejorative. There are other more neutral options as well, e.g. neshar shikar (victim to addiction), etc.


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## fdb

Dib said:


> nesha (an Arabic loanword, not sure of the original meaning)



našan نشا , more commonly našwatun نشوة means “intoxication, drunkenness”, infinitives of the verb našiya “to become intoxicated”.


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## mataripis

I heard it in Native speakers. Nalulolong is  becoming addictive to . Maybe its root word is ulol meaning becoming crazy or out of mind.


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## Nawaq

ThomasK said:


> French:
> - _*accro[ché ?]  à*_, I think (attached, or something the like)
> - *dépendant *(de ? )



Yes _accro_, from _accroché_, apparently it's an anglicism, a kind of translation from English hooked. So, _"ce mec est complètement accro aux films d'horreur"_. _Accro_ doesn't have this connotation (edit, ah, maybe ir does have this connotation, I didn't know it was specifically linked to drugs... nevermind) with drugs or alcohol or sex, _dépendant(e)/dépendance_ has I think though; a drug addict in French can be a drogué(e) (like English druggie I think), un(e) tox(ico(mane)), a junkie etc. An addiction to something: _une dépendance à... l'alcool_ (for exemple), if you're like me and don't mind another anglicism you'll use addiction in this sens too _"je souffre d'une addiction depuis mes 15 ans", _before the word addiction people used to say_ "assuétude"_. Now though you can find this addict everywhere, in _fashion addict_ and such words.


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## 123xyz

Macedonian:

зависност - addiction
зависник - addict (denotes the person)
зависен - addicted (describes the person)
станува/стане зависен - get addicted (lit. become addicted)

The root "вис-" means "to hang, dangle". Meanwhile, "зависност" and "зависен" also mean "dependence" and "dependent" respectively (those are their more basic meanings, from which the addiction-related meanings are derived by extension, I suppose). 

In some cases, "опседнат" meaning "obsessed" might a better translation of the English "addicted" when it's used in a figurative, mild sense.


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