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): /juˈhiməˌrɪzəm/
(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /juːˈhiːmərɪzm/, /juːˈhiːmərɪzəm/

Noun

euhemerism (usually uncountable, plural euhemerisms)

(uncountable) The belief that legends and mythology arise from exaggerated descriptions of historical people and events.
- 1846, George Grote, History of Greece, Vol. I, p. 596:
  In regard to the Thracian god Zalmosis, the Hellespontic Greeks interpreted his character and attributes according to the scheme of Euemerism.

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

From French évhémérisme.

Noun

euhemerism n (uncountable)

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