Etymograph

English

Morpheus

Morpheus comes from Ancient Greek μορφή ‘form, shape’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμορφήmorphḗ‘form, shape’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΜορφεύςMorpheús
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMorpheus
  4. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμορφήmorphḗ‘form, shape’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΜορφεύςMorpheús
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMorpheus
  4. Englishtodaysame form

The story

Borrowed from Latin Morpheus (possibly coined by Ovid in his Metamorphoses as the god is not mentioned in earlier works), from Ancient Greek Μορφεύς (Morpheús), from μορφή (morphḗ, “form, shape”) (alluding to the fact that Morpheus appeared in dreams in the forms of different people) + -εύς (-eús, suffix forming masculine nouns indicating persons concerned with particular things).

Linked words

through Ancient Greek μορφή ‘form, shape’

information, form, amorphous, fromage, 41 more

Today it means

name The god and personification of dreams; according to the Roman poet Ovid, one of the sons of Somnus, the god of sleep.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek μορφή / Morpheus

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