fugue

1. a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts.
2. a loss of awareness of one's identity, often coupled with flight from one's usual environment, associated with certain forms of hysteria and epilepsy.

late 16th century: from French, or from Italian fuga, from Latin fuga ‘flight’, related to fugere ‘flee’.