deliri

Deliri is a term most commonly encountered as the plural form of delirium in Italian. In Italian medical and scholarly usage, deliri refers to multiple occurrences or manifestations of delirium, a acute disturbance in consciousness and cognition. The word is less common in English, where delirium is typically treated as a singular concept, but deliri may appear in Italian-language texts discussing several delirium episodes or features within patients.

Etymology-wise, deliri derives from the Italian delirio, which traces back to Latin delirium and ultimately to Greek delirion. This lineage reflects the historical naming of delirium as a disorder of wandering or going astray in the mind. The form deliri serves a grammatical plural function in Italian, rather than indicating a distinct clinical syndrome.

In medical contexts, delirium is characterized by sudden onset, fluctuating attention, and disturbances in perception or cognition, often arising from an underlying medical illness, substance effects, or metabolic disturbances. When Italian writers discuss more than one delirium episode or a collection of delirium-related phenomena, the plural deliri may be employed.

Beyond medicine, the term Deliri has also appeared as a title or name in various artistic and cultural works in Italian- and Spanish-speaking contexts, typically conveying themes of madness, altered perception, or visionary experience. The use of the word in such contexts varies by author and region.

See also: delirium, delirio.