Etymograph

English

halcyon

Halcyon comes from Latin halcyōn ‘kingfisher’, and goes back to Ancient Greek ἀλκυών.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀλκυώνalkuṓn‘kingfisher’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhalcyōn‘kingfisher’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Alceoun
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1589–1590halcyon

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἀλκυώνalkuṓn‘kingfisher’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhalcyōn‘kingfisher’
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Alceoun
  4. Englishearliest quotation c. 1589–1590halcyon

Earliest quotation: c. 1589–1590, Christopher Marlowe, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […]: “But novv hovv ſtands the vvind? / Into vvhat…”

Every English word from Ancient Greek ἀλκυών

Today it means

noun A kingfisher whose nesting by the sea was said, in classical mythology, to cause the Gods to restrain the wind and waves.

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

Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἀλκυών / halcyon

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