New Post
Search
Help
Archivesorigin of Ophelia
I keep getting different information on the meaning of this name. I have a name book which says it is of Greek origin and means "a serpent." This site also says it is Greek, but that it means "help." About half the name websites I have visited claim it means "helpful/helper", and the other half claim it means "serpent/serpentine." One site said it could mean either, but didn't give much info to back this up. Another even said that it is of French origin, which i'm fairly sure is untrue.
Anyway, I don't know any Greek at all, and although this site lists the word "ophelos" ("help") as the root, i was wondering what the Greek word for serpent is. could it maybe mean both helpful and serpent?
I had grown rather attached to the serpent meaning...
Thanks
Anyway, I don't know any Greek at all, and although this site lists the word "ophelos" ("help") as the root, i was wondering what the Greek word for serpent is. could it maybe mean both helpful and serpent?
I had grown rather attached to the serpent meaning...
Thanks
1
Replies
Serpent (Greek: ὄφις; Trans: Ophis, /o'-fēs/; "snake", "serpent") occurs in the Book of Revelation as the "ancient serpent" or "old serpent" used to describe "the dragon", Satan the Adversary, who is the devil. From google. I think they just sound similar. I think Ophelos is more similar to Ophelia than Ophis.
1
OK, here's the scoop:
The Greek word meaning "helpfulness" is ÙÖÅËÉÁ (Ophelia, with an omega for "O" and an epsilon for "e"). As a name this is certainly not a Shakespearian concoction, and is recorded in *A Lexicon of Personal Greek Names*.
The Greek word for snake is ÏÖÉÓ (Ophis, with an omicron for O and an iota for i). Maybe some proto-goth punk Ophelia chic in ancient Greece wrote name with an omicron (to mean snake) but there is no written evidence for this. So the first eplanation is the correct one :)
The Greek word meaning "helpfulness" is ÙÖÅËÉÁ (Ophelia, with an omega for "O" and an epsilon for "e"). As a name this is certainly not a Shakespearian concoction, and is recorded in *A Lexicon of Personal Greek Names*.
The Greek word for snake is ÏÖÉÓ (Ophis, with an omicron for O and an iota for i). Maybe some proto-goth punk Ophelia chic in ancient Greece wrote name with an omicron (to mean snake) but there is no written evidence for this. So the first eplanation is the correct one :)
1
So Ophelia does not mean “help” but “helpless”? That may be the reason why Shakespearian chose it for the character but makes it weaker and more pathetic.
1
Thank you!
1