"nightmare" and "bugbear"

[Stanley Friesen]

At 03:53 PM 10/18/00 +0100, Larry Trask wrote:
>In English, it was applied from the beginning to an imaginary monster
>which perched on people's chests while they slept and caused them
>to feel suffocation or other distress.  ...

>...  Until well into
>the 19th century, the usual locution was still 'to have the nightmare'.

Well, it seems I often have the nightmare - I have a condition called sleep
apnea which causes me to frequently stop breathing while asleep (unless
treated).  The description above sounds like a pre-modern explanation of apnea.

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May the peace of God be with you.         sarima at ix.netcom.com