euhemerization
/juˌhiməɹɪzˈeɪʃən/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
28
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
5
Syllables
11
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The fanciful invention of plausible historical figures and events as an attempt to rationalize mythology and legends
Derogatory; Uncountable
noun
The fanciful invention of plausible historical figures and events as an attempt to rationalize mythology and legends
Countable; Derogatory
Example Sentences
- "The euhemerization of Taoist myth by Confucian historians sometimes led to the appearance of figures such as "Lord Primordial Chaos" (渾沌氏) in the imperial genealogies."
- "One such euhemerization is a Rowan Atkinson bit where he presents Jesus Christ as a misunderstood street magician."
- "Much of Chinese mythology appears to have been the result of euhemerization, the later deification of Neolithic tribal leaders and inventors incompletely remembered through oral traditions and now-lost records."
Etymology
From euhemerize + -ation, 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
- Root: Euhēmerus, Εὐήμερος
- Suffix: euhemerize
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /juˌhiməɹɪzˈeɪʃən/
- British English: /juːˌhiːməɹɪzˈeɪʃən/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Synonyms
deification
rationalization & pseudohistory