English
maenad
Maenad comes from Latin Maenās ‘frenzied female follower of Bacchus’, from Ancient Greek μαινάς ‘raving, frantic’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to mind’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to mind’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mn̥yétor‘to think’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*məňňómaireconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμαίνομαιmaínomai‘to be mad, to rage’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμαινάςmainás‘raving, frantic’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMaenās‘frenzied female follower of Bacchus’
- Englishearliest quotation 1579maenad
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*men-‘to mind’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mn̥yétor‘to think’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*məňňómaireconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμαίνομαιmaínomai‘to be mad, to rage’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEμαινάςmainás‘raving, frantic’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEMaenās‘frenzied female follower of Bacchus’
- Englishearliest quotation 1579maenad
Earliest quotation: 1579, E. K., [October. Ægloga Decima.] Glosse.: “VVild yuie) for it is dedicated to Bacchus &…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *men- ‘to mind’
money, music, mind, amount, mouth, mountain, museum, comment, mental, remain, mention, monster, auto, mount, min, monitor, permanent, monetary, demonstration, monk, mint, monument, mentor, monte, amnesty, muse, mosaic, maya, dementia, summon, ming, imminent, monastery, mont, muster, monstrous, prominence, eminent, amnesia, mandarin, 125 more
through Ancient Greek μαίνομαι ‘to be mad, to rage’
Today it means
noun A female follower of Dionysus (“the god of wine”), associated with intense revelling.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *men- / maenad