Etymograph

English

Pythoness

Pythoness comes from Late Latin pythonissa ‘witch’, from Ancient Greek Πυθία ‘Pythia: priestess of Apollo at Delphi, who…’, and ultimately from Πῡθώ.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΠῡθώ‘Pytho, Delphi’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΠυθίαPuthía‘Pythia: priestess of Apollo at Delphi, who uttered prophetic oracles’
  3. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpythonissa‘witch’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1784Pythoness

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΠῡθώ‘Pytho, Delphi’
  2. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEΠυθίαPuthía‘Pythia: priestess of Apollo at Delphi, who uttered prophetic oracles’
  3. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEpythonissa‘witch’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1784Pythoness

Earliest quotation: 1784, William Mitford, The History of Greece: “The office of Pythoness appears not to have been…”

Every English word from Ancient Greek Πῡθώ

Today it means

noun The priestess of the oracle of Apollo at Delphi.

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

Etymograph / Ancient Greek Πῡθώ / Pythoness

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