Greek Origin Words  

Mythological Words And Their Origins

Around the world, the stories of mighty warriors, destructive deities, and fearsome creatures have influenced human life, from nearly the dawn of time. Myths and legends have assimilated into culture and religion throughout the years, and have even influenced modern English. Here are a few examples of English words that have an etymology in some of these ancient tales.

mythology

Avatar

Derived From The Descension Of Gods The word 'Avatar' originates from the ancient Hindu concept of deities or Gods descending to Earth. As an example, the Hindu God Vishnu is said to have had ten different avatars, one of which being the Buddha. 'Avatar' could also be translated literally to 'manifestation' as well as 'incarnation.'

Phobia

Derived From The God Of Fear 'Phobia', used as a word and a common suffix in the English language, means 'fear of.' For example, Arachnophobia is a common fear of spiders. The word 'phobia' originates from the name Phobos, who was the son of the Ancient Greek god Ares, literally meaning 'fear' or 'terror.' Phobos and his father would ride into battle, driving his chariot and spreading fear in their wake.

Echo

Derived from the story of a Nymph We all recognise an echo when we hear one; it's simply the reflection of sounds that reach our ears at different times. Surprisingly, however, the word 'echo' derives from the name of a particular Nymph in Greek mythology that was punished by Hera (Queen of the Greek Gods), for tricking her. For the rest of her days, the nymph was only able to speak the words of other people, thus, echoing what she heard.

Clue

Derived from the story of the Minotaur Perhaps the most crucial segment of how Theseus slew the minotaur in Greek legend, is the ball of yarn given to him by the princess to find his way out of the labyrinth. But we know what you're asking, what's this got to do with the word 'clue?' Well, 'clue' derives from the word 'clew,' meaning 'ball of thread or yarn', and was often synonymous with 'finding information' or 'finding a solution.' Dictionary.

Hell

Derived From The Norse Goddess Of The Underworld We've all heard of Hell, and what it means to most people, but Hell is far from a new concept, and many religions and cultures have their equivalents. The netherworld, or Helheim, was the Norse version of this eternally damned world. Hel, who was the daughter of famous Norse god Loki, was also said to be more powerful than Odin himself (Greatest of all the Norse Gods), inside her realm, 'the Hel.'

Typhoon

Derived From The Greek Monster Of Winds A Typhoon is a type of fierce tropical storm that often develops in the northern hemisphere. The etymology of the word 'Typhoon' is often debated. Some point to the Greeks, for believing in mythical monster-like entities associated with winds, often referred to as 'Typhoons'. However, some look to ancient China, where the phrase 'Tai Fung' translates to strong winds in Cantonese.


    

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