Panathenaea

English

WOTD – 28 October 2023

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Panathēnaea, and from its etymon Ancient Greek Πᾰνᾰθήναιᾰ (Pănăthḗnaiă), a noun use of the neuter plural of Παναθηναῖος (Panathēnaîos, Panathenian) (in Παναθήναια ἱερᾰ́ (Panathḗnaia hierắ, Panathenian solemnities)), from πᾰν- (păn-, prefix meaning ‘all; every’) + Ἀθηναῖος (Athēnaîos, of or relating to Athens, Athenian) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns). Ἀθηναῖος (Athēnaîos) is derived from either Ἀθῆναι (Athênai, Athens) or Ᾰ̓θήνη (Ăthḗnē, Athena, patron goddess of Athens) + -ῐος (-ĭos, suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives).[1]

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌpæn.æ.θɪˈniː.ə/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˌpænˌæ.θəˈni.ə/
  • Rhymes: -iːə
  • Hyphenation: Pan‧a‧then‧aea

Proper noun

Panathenaea

  1. (Ancient Greece, historical) A festival formerly held annually in Athens to honour the city's patron goddess Athena, involving animal sacrifices, a grand procession, and, every fourth year, athletic and musical contests.

Alternative forms

  • Panathenaia

Derived terms

Translations

Notes

  1. ^ From the collection of the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

References

Further reading