Cthulhu

English

Cthulhu as drawn by Lovecraft (1934)

Alternative forms

• Ktulu, Kutulu

Etymology

Invented in 1926 by H.P. Lovecraft for his short story The Call of Cthulhu. Possibly based on chthonic (“dwelling under the earth”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (widely used spelling pronunciation) /kəˈθuːluː/, /kəˈtuːluː/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːlu, -uː

Usage notes

• Lovecraft used various approximations of what he imagined as a name not pronounceable by humans, none of which he described clearly.

Proper noun

Cthulhu

1. A gigantic fictional humanoid alien god being described with a head resembling an octopus and dragon wings and claws, around whom an insane cult developed.
   • 1928, H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu:

     Then, bolder than the storied Cyclops, great Cthulhu slid greasily into the water and began to pursue with vast wave-raising strokes of cosmic potency.

Derived terms

• Cthulhuesque
• Cthulhian
• Cthulhic

Translations

a huge fictional humanoid alien god

• Chinese: 克蘇魯／克苏鲁 (kèsūlǔ)
• Esperanto: Ĥtulho
• French: Cthulhu (fr) m
• German: Cthulhu (de)
• Greek: Κθούλου (Kthoúlou)
• Hebrew: קת׳ולהו
• Irish: Cuitiliú m
• Japanese: クトゥルフ (Kuturufu)
• Korean: 크툴후 (Keutulhu)
• Macedonian: Ктху́лху n (Kthúlhu)
• Marathi: क्थूलू m (kthūlū)
• Polish: Cthulhu (pl) n
• Portuguese: Cthulhu
• Russian: Кту́лху (ru) (Ktúlxu)
• Thai: คธูลู

See also

• Lovecraftian

Further reading

• Cthulhu on Wikipedia.Wikipedia