Iapetus

English

The moon Iapetus

Alternative forms

• Japetus

Etymology

From Latin Iapetus, from Ancient Greek Ἰαπετός (Iapetós), possibly from Pre-Greek.

• (moon): Named after the titan.
• (ocean): The Iapetus Ocean was the predecessor to the Atlantic Ocean, so this name was chosen because Iapetus is the father of Atlas (see Atlantic).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aɪˈæpɪtəs/

Proper noun

Iapetus

1. (Greek mythology) A Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia, and father of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius.

   Alternative forms: Japetus, Iapetos

2. (astronomy) A moon in Saturnian system, Solar System: The third largest moon of Saturn

   Alternative form: Japetus

3. (geology) A former ocean between former continent of Laurentia (North America) and former continent of Baltica (Europe): An ancient ocean which existed between 600 and 400 million years ago.

   Synonyms: Proto-Atlantic, Proto-Atlantic Ocean

   Alternative form: Iapetus Ocean

   • 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 184:

     So, in the early Ordovician, Iapetus was wide enough to have one side in high latitudes and the other in the tropics: a massive ocean, indeed.

4. (biblical, obsolete) Alternative form of Japheth.

Derived terms

• Iapetian
• Iapetus Ocean
• Iapetus Ridge
• Iapetus Suture

Translations

the Titan

• Danish: Iapetus
• Estonian: Iapetos
• Finnish: Iapetos
• French: Japet (fr) m
• German: Japetus m, Japetos m, Iapetos m
• Greek: Ιαπετός (el) m (Iapetós)

  Ancient: Ἰαπετός m (Iapetós)

• Greenlandic: Japetusi
• Inuktitut: ᐃᐊᐲᑐᔅ (iapiitos)
• Latin: Japetus m
• Portuguese: Jápeto m, Iápeto m
• Russian: Я́пет (ru) m (Jápet)
• Spanish: Jápeto (es) m

the moon of Saturn

• Finnish: Japetus
• French: Japet (fr) m
• German: Japetus m, Iapetus (de) m
• Greek: Ιαπετός (el) m (Iapetós)
• Italian: Giapeto m
• Polish: Japet m
• Portuguese: Jápeto
• Russian: Я́пет (ru) m (Jápet)
• Spanish: Jápeto (es)

the ancient ocean

References

• “Japethic, adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

See also

• Iapetic

Anagrams

• Paiutes, taupies

Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ῑ̓ᾰπετός (Īăpetós, “Iapetus”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [iːˈa.pɛ.tʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [iˈaː.pe.t̪us]

Proper noun

Īapetus m sg (genitive Īapetī); second declension

1. (Greek mythology) Iapetus
   • 303 CE – 311 CE, Lactantius, Institutiones Divinae 2.10.7:

     Prometheus ex Iapeto natus est

     Prometheus himself was born from Iapetus

Inflection

Second-declension noun, singular only.

	singular
nominative	Īapetus
genitive	Īapetī
dative	Īapetō
accusative	Īapetum
ablative	Īapetō
vocative	Īapete

Related terms

• Īapetīonidēs (patronymic)

Descendants

• → English: Iapetus

References

• “Iapetus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press