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This has been bugging me for a while. On this site, it says Olympia is the fem form of Olympos - the meaning of which is unknown. Additionally, Olympos was "the name of the mountain home of the Greek gods."
This seems right, but I read that the meaning of Olympos and Olympia was 'heavenly'. I may be completely wrong, but does anyone know if this is correct?
This seems right, but I read that the meaning of Olympos and Olympia was 'heavenly'. I may be completely wrong, but does anyone know if this is correct?
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Replies
The meaning I found was, from Mount Olympus. Another one I found said, mountain of the Gods.
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This has your answer. Thank Pavlos. :-)
http://www.etymologica.com/page20.htm
http://www.etymologica.com/page20.htm
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From the linked page: "From ὄλυμπος (olympos), a proto-Hellenic word for mountain"
It would be interesting to learn about the source of this information.
I tried to find another source giving "olympos, Proto-Hellenic/Proto-Greek for 'mountain'" on the Internet, without success.
Anyway, why should the *name* for a mountain be just "mountain"? I think that this may happen out of misunderstandings between two people with different languages, if one group assumes that the common-day word of another group is a name and starts to treat it as such, but is this seen as such a case?
It would be interesting to learn about the source of this information.
I tried to find another source giving "olympos, Proto-Hellenic/Proto-Greek for 'mountain'" on the Internet, without success.
Anyway, why should the *name* for a mountain be just "mountain"? I think that this may happen out of misunderstandings between two people with different languages, if one group assumes that the common-day word of another group is a name and starts to treat it as such, but is this seen as such a case?
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Rene, my source for the information is the Etymological Lexicon of George Babiniotis. I am afraid the book is in Greek. Professor Babiniotis's site is here: http://www.babiniotis.gr/wmt/webpages/index.php?lid=2&pid=12
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Proto-Hellenic obviously could have had loan words from non-Indoeuropean languages, and indeed, Olympos meaning mountain as a Pelasgian loan word has been suggested by Chantraine, but like much else, without convincing evidence. Since Pelasgian is merely a catch all term meaning pre-Hellenic, often in the sense of a substratum, it is difficult to turn this into a proper etymology. Theories linking it with words of Afroasiatic origin (meaning roof in this case) have also been proposed, but isolated sound similarities with broad semantic flexibility does not make convincing evidence of borrowing either: the probability of an enterprising person *not* being able to make up such theories is too low :-)
Incidentally, noting the literary link between Olympos and Ouranos, the latter having clearly possible Indoeuropean etymologies (even though the exact meaning is in question; the phonological link with Vedic varuna being quite irregular to be completely comfortable), and since it was the abode of gods, it has indeed been glossed by Salvatore Quasimodo as Italian cielo, which has been translated into English as heaven (in the sense of sky, presumably). I do not think that was intended as an etymology, but it might have led to the original question.
Incidentally, noting the literary link between Olympos and Ouranos, the latter having clearly possible Indoeuropean etymologies (even though the exact meaning is in question; the phonological link with Vedic varuna being quite irregular to be completely comfortable), and since it was the abode of gods, it has indeed been glossed by Salvatore Quasimodo as Italian cielo, which has been translated into English as heaven (in the sense of sky, presumably). I do not think that was intended as an etymology, but it might have led to the original question.
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So much info there, but it does explain why confusion abounds. Actually, you make a great point about the mis- translation, initially I thought it made sense that Olympia would mean heavenly due to the association with mount olympus being in the sky. But I see your point. Which is indeed why I asked this question, I guess there isn't a proper answer (:
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I doubt that it means 'heavenly'. Olympos was the name of the home of the Greek gods but at this time when people died they went down to Hades (what we now may call Hell). I believe the idea of Heaven came a lot later with the chrisitan faith which is why I think it unlikely that Olympia means 'heavenly'.
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It means Olympian, as in the gods or the Olympic games. From ὄλυμπος (olympos), a proto-Hellenic word for mountain.
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A little Googling showed me that the meaning of 'Olympos' is indeed unknown, almost famously so.
It is unfortunate that there are some websites about given names that can't have that, i.e. a name without a meaning. In such cases they tend to present some analogy or some guess as "meaning". I think that is the case with 'Olympos': Because that mountain was the seat of the Greek gods, "heavenly" sure makes for a good meaning, right?
Well, maybe not, but it's sooo tempting...
It is unfortunate that there are some websites about given names that can't have that, i.e. a name without a meaning. In such cases they tend to present some analogy or some guess as "meaning". I think that is the case with 'Olympos': Because that mountain was the seat of the Greek gods, "heavenly" sure makes for a good meaning, right?
Well, maybe not, but it's sooo tempting...
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