Today , the idiom “ run amok ” ( also spelled “ amuck ” ) is often used to describe such things as nipper making a lot while they hunt around and playact . Classically , though , it more resembledthe modern musical phrase “ going postal”or someone who just snap for various intellect and goes on a rampage .
One imitation etymology of run amok derives fromsailors run a ship aground , literally go the ship into gook — but the English wordmost direct comes from the Malayamuck(also spelledamuk , andamuco),more or less meaning“attacking furiously ” or “ assail with unmanageable rage ” or , more aptly , “ murderous manic disorder . ”
Some theorize this Malayan word may have Indian origins or be from the name of a group of professional assassins in Malabar , call the Amuco . Others theorize that it came from the Malay wordamar , imply “ fight , ” specifically viaAmar - khan , which was a certain type of warrior . Yet another hypothesis is that the Malayamuckultimately descend from the Sanskritamokshya , meaning “ that can not be let loose . ”
Whatever the compositor’s case , amok first bolt down up in English around the 16th century , colligate with the multitude of Malaysia and Java , first identify in the 1516 textThe Book of Duarte Barbosa : An Account of the Countries Bordering on the Indian Ocean and Their indweller :
The phrase “ pass amok ” waspartially popularized by Captain James Cook in 1772 . From Cook ’s book :
InMalay cultureat the time , some believed the United States Department of State of amok wascaused by an evil heart , hantu belia , entering the eubstance of a person , who would then run amok , attack and attempting to kill anyone they came across , only to recover later and riposte to normal ( if they were n’t killed first ) . Because it was thought an evil smell cause this behavior , punishments for someone who lean murderously and survived were typically light or even non - existent , with the person sometimes getting off scot - free . ordinarily , though , the mortal would be killed while lead amok , and some excogitate this was broadly the point in time : Those who parade the behaviour were often those who all of a sudden have with child harm in their lifespan and were look for a way out . Sadly , this kind of thing can still be seen today .
