Second unit animals

The Odyssey of words Second unit: animals 1. Ζώο: The word zoo comes from the Greek word "ζώο", which means «animal». In Latin-based languages, the word animal comes from the Latin word anima (animus), meaning soul.

2. Δεινόσαυρος: The word dinosaur (δεινόσαυρος) is a compound word. It consists of the ancient Greek adjective «δεινός» (deinos) = “terrible” and the noun «σαύρα» (saura) = "lizard".

3. Λέων: The word λέων (leon) = lion, is one of the most ancient Greek words, as it is found in Homer's epics (Iliad and Odyssey). After several centuries, the word appears in Latin as "leo".

Leo is also one of the constellations of the zodiac. Leo to the ancient Greeks represented the Nemean Lion killed by the mythical Greek hero Heracles (known to the ancient Romans as Hercules) as one of his twelve labors.

4. Λεοπάρδαλη: The word leopard (λεοπάρδαλη) comes from the Greek compound word λεόπαρδος (leopardos), from «λέων» (leon) = “lion” + «πάρδος» (pardos) ="male panther".

5. Πάνθηρας: The word panther (πάνθηρας) is a compound word. It consists of the ancient Greek words «παν» (greek pronunciation pan) meaning “all” and the the verb «θηρώ» (greek pronunciation thiro) meaning “hunt”.

6. Λυγξ The word lynx (λύγξ / λύγκας) belongs to the lexical family meaning "light" in reference to animal’s gleaming eyes or its ability to see in the dark (cf. the Latin "lux" which means light).

Many Greek words derived from this root, for example Lyceum (Λύκειο).

7. Ρινόκερος: The word rhinoceros comes from Greek ρινόκερος, literally "nose-horned". It’s a compound word from the ancient Greek noun ῥίς, genitive ῥινός (rhinos) = “nose” and the noun κέρας (keras) meaning "horn of an animal".

8.

Ελέφαντας:

The word ελέφας (=ελέφαντας) elephas (=elephant) first appeared in Greek language during the 2nd millennium BC, when the ivory trade was flourishing. It's a word of unknown origin.

Much later the word was introduced in Latin language.

Linda Alexopoulou – Theodoros Tomaras

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The Odyssey of words 9. Ιπποπόταμος: The word hippopotamus (ιπποπόταμος) is a compound word. It consists of the Greek words ιππος (Greek pronunciation ippos) = horse and ποταμός (Greek pronunciation potamos) = river. In other words, it means “fluvial horse”.

10. Κάστορας: Castor is a Greek word meaning «the one who excels, who’s distinguished».

The animal's name comes from the mythical hero Castor, son of Zeus, who was the protector of women, as this animal is known for its tender maternal feelings.

In Greek and Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux (or Polydeuces), were twin brothers, together known as the Dioskouroi or Dioscuri. Their mother was Leda. The best-known story of the twins' birth is that Zeus disguised himself as a swan and seduced Leda. They were born from an egg, along with their twin sisters Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra.

Dioscuri were worshiped as gods in many areas of Greece.

This is a copy by Cesare da Sesto (1477-1523) after the lost painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

11. Πύθων In Greek mythology, Python (Greek: Πύθων) was the dragon of Delphi, always represented as a serpent.

He presided at the Delphic oracle, which existed in the cult center for his mother, Gaia.

Greeks considered the site to be the center of the earth, represented by a stone, the omphalos or navel, whic h Python guarded.

Python became enemy of the later Olympian deity Apollo, who slew him and remade Python's former home and the oracle, the most famous in Classical Greece, as his own.

Pythia (Πῡθίᾱ) was the name given to the High Priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi who served as the oracle.

The name Pythia is derived from Pytho, which in myth was the original name of Delphi.

“The navel of the earth " Museum of Delphi

Linda Alexopoulou – Theodoros Tomaras

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The Odyssey of words

Apollo and Python Cornelis de Vos (1636 - 38) Prado Museum in Madrid

12. Σκορπιός: The word scorpion (σκορπιός) is of unknown etymology. Ancient Greeks took the word from an unknown Mediterranean language. In ancient Greek, beyond the known animal, scorpion was called a war machine - a kind of catapult - which was used to hurl arrows.

Scorpio is also called a constellation located in the southern hemisphere, resembling a scorpion.

Latin borrowed this word which then passed in several European languages.

13. Χαμαιλέων: The word chameleon is a borrowing of the Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn), a compound of χαμαί (khamaí) = "on the ground" and λέων (léōn) "lion". The Greek word means literally "lion of the ground".

Chameleons adjust their colours for camouflage in accordance with the specific environment when they are threatened.

14. Κροκόδειλος The word crocodile comes from Greek κροκόδειλος (krokodilos), word applied by Herodotus to the crocodile of the Nile, apparently due to its basking habits, from κρόκος (krokos) ="pebbles" + δρίλος (drilos) = "worm". Originally meant "different lizard species" and came to state later the crocodiles of the Nile river.

Linda Alexopoulou – Theodoros Tomaras

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The Odyssey of words

15. Δελφίνι: The word dolphin (δελφίνι) comes from the Greek word δελφίς “delphis” (dolphin in ancient Greek) related to δελφύς (delphys) meaning womb or newborn animal.

The word is etymologically related to the name Delphi. The ancient Greeks believed that the oracle of Delphi was the "navel of the Earth".

Moreover, the word dolphin comes from the ancient Greek noun δέλφαξ (delphax), which means little pig. The animal was named by its form, which appears similar to the pig, i.e. delfis (δελφίς) initially meant “small pig of the sea ".

16. Χταπόδι: The English word octopus (χταπόδι) is a compound word. It means literally "eight-foot," from the Greek number οκτώ okto = "eight" and the noun “πους” pous = «foot".

The French and Italian words that correspond etymologically to the above word are octopode (French) and ottopode (Italian), meaning creature with eight legs.

French and Italians call the concerned animal "poulpe" and "polipo " from the Greek word “πολύπους” (polúpous). This word consists of the Greek words «πολύς» meaning "many" and «πους» meaning "leg" (animal with many legs).

17. Πελεκάνος: Pelican (πελεκάνος) comes from the ancient Greek noun πέλεκυς (pelekys) which means axe. The bird is so named because of its lar ge beak, which cuts like axe. The Latin language borrowed the word (lat. Pelican).

See the French film "Nicostratos Le Pelican / Un Ete Grec" 2011

Linda Alexopoulou – Theodoros Tomaras

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