English
Lethe
Lethe comes from Ancient Greek λήθω ‘to forget’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- ‘to hide’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leh₂-‘to hide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλήθωlḗthō‘to forget’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΛήθηLḗthē
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CELēthē
- Englishearliest quotation 1740Lethe
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leh₂-‘to hide’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλήθωlḗthō‘to forget’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΛήθηLḗthē
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CELēthē
- Englishearliest quotation 1740Lethe
Earliest quotation: 1740, David Garrick, Lethe: or Aesop in the Shade: “No wonder these mortal Folks have so many Complaints,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- ‘to hide’
loom, latent, lament, lull, loll, laika, alastor, 17 more
through Ancient Greek Λήθη
Today it means
name The personification of oblivion, daughter of Eris.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- / Lethe