hyperthymesia

Note: The term was apparently introduced by Elizabeth S. Parker, Larry Cahill, and James L. McGaugh in "A Case of Unusual Autobiographical Remembering," Neurocase, vol. 12 (2006), issue 1, pp. 35-49. The authors explain the coinage as follows: "We propose that AJ's form of autobiographical memory syndrome warrants its own definition and terminology. We suggest calling it the hyperthymestic syndrome, based on the Greek word 'thymesis' which means 'remembering,' and 'hyper' meaning 'more than normal.' The two defining features of hyperthymesia are: 1) the person spends an abnormally large amount of time thinking about his or her personal past, and 2) the person has an extraordinary capacity to recall specific events from their personal past." The authors do not give a source for their information about Greek, but in any case there seems to be no ancient Greek word thymesis. The etymology suggests several deverbal compounds that contain the element -thȳmēsis, and one must assume these are behind the coinage; however, though these words have to do with mental activity, they have no connection with memory, the Greek equivalent of which would be mnḗmē or mnēmosýnē. The word hyperthymestic, which the authors take as an adjectival derivative of hyperthymesia, is suggestive of Greek derivatives with mnē-, as hypomnēstikós "awakening the recollection, suggestive" and anamnēstikós "able to recall to mind readily" (compare amnēstía "forgetfulness," the source of amnesty entry 1). Compare, with Greek thȳmós as a base, dysthymia.