Myth
From MysteryWiki
The Oxford English Dictionary has two main definitions for the word myth, but the one focused on this article is:
A traditional story, typically involving supernatural beings or forces, which embodies and provides an explanation, aetiology, or justification for something such as the early history of a society, a religious belief or ritual, or a natural phenomenon.
The term's origin, in this sense, dates back to the mid-19th century, with an early use being in an 1830 publication of The Westminster Review.
Etymology
The word myth is derived from the Ancient Greek word μῦθος[1] (mythos), meaning a legend, fable, folktale, or simply a story. However, it may be an indirect derivation via the French mythe (1803) or the Modern Latin mȳthus or mȳthos. Interestingly, the scholia on the Odyssey 21.71 says that μῦθος (mûthos) is Aeolic for μόθος (móthos).
From Ancient Greek the origin of the word becomes somewhat more contentious, with claims of onomatopoeic origin from μῡ (mū) or entirely Pre-Greek roots. Others compare it to the Proto-Slavic myslь, as if via the Proto-Indo-European mēwdʰ or muHdʰ-.
Usage
Notes
- ↑ μύθος in Modern Greek.
External Links
- myth - Online Etymology Dictionary
- Myth - Wikipedia
- myth, n. - Oxford English Dictionary
- μῦθος - English Wiktionary
- μῦθος - Greek Wiktionary
References
No adequate sources have been found so far.