Mowgli syndrome

Mowgli syndrome

English

Etymology

After Mowgli, the protagonist of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1894), who was raised by wolves.

Noun

Mowgli syndrome (uncountable)

1. The condition of a feral child.
   • 2008, Zygon (volume 43, page 835)

     Alas, in reality children who have no experience of human care, loving relationships, and language display none of these. Instead, they display symptoms of what is called the Mowgli syndrome, symptoms including fear of humans, […]

   • 2017, Rick Renner, Sparkling Gems from the Greek Vol. 2

     So when little Sasha came into the care of our outreach, he came with that “Mowgli syndrome” designation because he had been raised by dogs and had no memory of ever living with a human being.