Koro

Koro is a term with multiple, unrelated meanings across medicine, linguistics, and geography. In medical anthropology and psychiatry, Koro refers to a culture-bound syndrome in which a person experiences a sudden, intense fear that their genitals are retracting, shrinking, or disappearing, and that emasculation will occur. It is most commonly reported in parts of East and Southeast Asia and among people who share related cultural beliefs about masculinity. Koro is not universally recognized as a separate disorder in major diagnostic manuals; rather, it is described as a xenocultural syndrome that reflects local explanatory models. Management emphasizes culturally sensitive counseling, patient education, and addressing stigma.

In linguistics, Koro denotes a language spoken by the Koro people of northeastern India. It comprises several dialects and has attracted attention for its uncertain classification within the broader Tibeto-Burman or Sino-Tibetan family. Researchers have described its phonology, syntax, and vocabulary, and ongoing fieldwork seeks to clarify relationships with neighboring languages. Language vitality is a concern in some communities, with language shift to more dominant regional languages reported in surveys.

Beyond medicine and linguistics, Koro also appears in place names and other uses in various regions, reflecting its role as a geographical and cultural identifier. The exact origins and meanings of these uses vary by locale.