1843, short for neuro-hypnotism (1842), coined by Dr. James Braid of Manchester, England, from hypnotic + -ism. In the same work (1843) Braid coined the verb hypnotize.
Entries linking to hypnotism
hypnotic adj.
1620s, of drugs, "inducing sleep," from French hypnotique (16c.) "inclined to sleep, soporific," from Late Latin hypnoticus, from Greek hypnotikos "inclined to sleep, putting to sleep, sleepy," from hypnoun "put to sleep," from hypnos "sleep" (from PIE root *swep- "to sleep"). Modern sense of "pertaining to an induced trance" first recorded in English 1843, along with hypnotize, hypnotism, hypnotist, in the works of hypnotism pioneer Dr. James Braid. Related: Hypnotical; hypnotically.
-ism
word-forming element making nouns implying a practice, system, doctrine, etc., from French -isme or directly from Latin -isma, -ismus (source also of Italian, Spanish -ismo, Dutch, German -ismus), from Greek -ismos, noun ending signifying the practice or teaching of a thing, from the stem of verbs in -izein, a verb-forming element denoting the doing of the noun or adjective to which it is attached. For distinction of use, see -ity. The related Greek suffix -isma(t)- affects some forms.