Daily Logophilia | New Words on Instagram: "Eremitism (pronounced EH-ruh-mi-tiz-um) refers to the practice or condition of living in seclusion, typically for religious or spiritual reasons, as a hermit; its etymology traces back to the Greek word erēmitēs meaning “of the desert,” from erēmia meaning “desert” or “solitude,” and entered English through Late Latin eremita. Historically, eremitism emerged prominently in early Christianity, especially during the 3rd and 4th centuries, when individual