English
Polypheme
Polypheme comes from Ancient Greek Πολύφημος, from φήμη ‘prophetic voice’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-meh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰā́māreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφήμη‘prophetic voice’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΠολύφημοςPolúphēmos
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPolyphemus
- Frenchc. 1600–presentPolyphème
- Englishearliest quotation 1928Polypheme
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-meh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*pʰā́māreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEφήμη‘prophetic voice’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΠολύφημοςPolúphēmos
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEPolyphemus
- Frenchc. 1600–presentPolyphème
- Englishearliest quotation 1928Polypheme
Earliest quotation: 1928, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu: “Slowly, amidst the distorted horrors of that indescribable scene,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to speak’
phone, focus, professor, famous, fuel, ben, favor, favourite, ban, fantasy, phase, fate, fancy, profession, fame, fatal, bee, fairy, fabulous, abandon, photographer, infant, confession, emphasis, confess, beacon, beck, phenomenon, symphony, phantom, boon, eff, fab, fay, bane, fable, foyer, banish, buoy, epiphany, 130 more
Today it means
name Polyphemus.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / Polypheme