bedlam

the word 'bedlam' is a direct borrowing and corruption of the name 'bethlehem'. it specifically refers to the hospital of st. mary of bethlehem in london, founded in the 13th century, which became a notorious asylum for the mentally ill. by the 16th century, the name of the institution, pronounced 'bedlam', became synonymous with the chaotic noise and confusion associated with such places. through this process of metonymy, the proper noun evolved into a common noun describing any scene of wild uproar and tumult.

the word is a simplex loanword. it does not contain separable morphemes within its modern english spelling.