euhemerism
/juˈhiməˌɹɪzəm/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The belief that legends and mythology arise from exaggerated descriptions of historical people and events.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "In regard to the Thracian god Zalmosis, the Hellespontic Greeks interpreted his character and attributes according to the scheme of Euemerism."
- "Then again there was a period of what is sometimes called Euhemerism - the theory that the gods and goddesses had actually once been men and women, historical characters round whom a halo of romance and remoteness had gathered."
- "Already before euhemerism saved them by embalming them, [...] they had become in their very being the enlarged shadows of great men and warriors upon the walls of the world."
Etymology
From Euhemerus + -ism, ultimately from Latin Euhēmerus, from Ancient Greek Εὐήμερος (Euḗmeros), an ancient Greek Sicilian Skeptic who proposed most or all mythology derived from historical figures and natural events which received supernatural characteristics only through retelling.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /juˈhiməˌɹɪzəm/
- British English: /juːˈhiːməˌɹɪzəm/
Usage
Inflected Forms
euhemerisms (plural)
euemerism (alternative)
Derived Forms
Synonyms
historical theory
rationalism