euhemerism

English

Alternative forms

• euemerism, Euemerism, Euhemerism

Etymology

From Euhemerus +‎ -ism, ultimately from Latin Euhēmerus, from Ancient Greek Εὐήμερος (Euḗmeros), an ancient Greek Sicilian Skeptic who proposed most or all mythology derived from historical figures and natural events which received supernatural characteristics only through retelling.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /juˈhiməˌɹɪzəm/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /juːˈhiːməɹɪzm/, /juːˈhiːməɹɪzəm/

Noun

euhemerism (usually uncountable, plural euhemerisms)

1. (uncountable) The belief that legends and mythology arise from exaggerated descriptions of historical people and events.
   • 1846, George Grote, History of Greece, volume I, page 596:

     In regard to the Thracian god Zalmosis, the Hellespontic Greeks interpreted his character and attributes according to the scheme of Euemerism.

   • 1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 10:

     Then again there was a period of what is sometimes called Euhemerism - the theory that the gods and goddesses had actually once been men and women, historical characters round whom a halo of romance and remoteness had gathered.

Synonyms

• historical theory, rationalism

Derived terms

• euhemerist
• euhemeristic
• euhemerization
• euhemerize

 

Translations

attribution of a historical origin to myths and legends

• Arabic: يُوهَيْمِرِيَّة (yūhaymiriyya)
• Armenian: էվգեմերիզմ (hy) (ēvgemerizm)
• Danish: euhemerisme c
• Esperanto: evemerismo, eŭhemerismo
• Finnish: euhemerismi (fi)
• French: évhémérisme (fr) m
• Greek: ευημερισμός m (evimerismós)
• Ido: euhemerismo
• Italian: evemerismo (it) m
• Japanese: エウヘメリズム (euhemerizumu)
• Kyrgyz: евгемеризм (yevgemerizm)
• Latin: euhemerismus m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: euhemerisme m

  Nynorsk: euhemerisme m

• Polish: euhemeryzm m
• Portuguese: evemerismo m
• Romanian: euhemerism (ro) n
• Russian: эвгемери́зм m (evgemerízm)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: еухемеризам m

  Roman: euhemerizam m

• Spanish: evemerismo m
• Swedish: euhemerism (sv) c
• Ukrainian: евгемери́зм m (evhemerýzm)

References

• “Euhemerism, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 2022.
• "euhemerism" in Prof. D.K. Jordan's "Mini-Glossaries" (27 Jan. 2011)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French évhémérisme.

Noun

euhemerism n (uncountable)

1. euhemerism

Declension

declension of euhemerism (singular only)

	singular
n gender	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) euhemerism	euhemerismul
genitive/dative	(unui) euhemerism	euhemerismului
vocative	euhemerismule