Why do some people have a fear of clowns?

The fear of clowns has a name: coulrophobia. While we don’t know the exact origins of the prefix “coulro”, there are some suggestions that it comes from an Ancient Greek word meaning “acrobat on stilts.” But this doesn’t explain the fear, does it?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.