浅析希腊罗马神话对英语词汇的影响

1、本科毕业论文(设计)题 目:浅析希腊罗马神话对英语词汇的影响学 院: 专 业: 英语语言文学 姓 名: 指导教师: 2011年5月31日青岛大学本科毕业论文（设计）浅析希腊罗马神话对英语词汇的影响摘要希腊神话是原始社会的精神产物，也是欧洲最早的文学形式，包括了“神的故事”和“英雄的传说”两部分。而象希腊神话那样的罗马神话实际上并不存在，罗马人没有传统的、象希腊神话中那样的神之间的斗争之类的传说。一直到罗马共和国末期，罗马人才开始模仿希腊神话，以编写自己的神话，创造出一种所谓“希腊罗马神话”的混合物。希腊罗马神话对英语的影响非常广泛。在词汇方面，英语吸收了部分希腊罗马神话中的词汇并将之沿用 。就

2、英语而言,希腊罗马神话的影响可谓随处可见。本文从词汇这一层面初步探讨希腊神话对英语的深刻影响，列举了希腊罗马神话影响英语词汇的原因，并对英语词汇中有代表性的希腊罗马神话词源的词汇作了简单的分类，最后列举了一些生活中常用的源自希腊罗马神话的英语习语和成语。关键词：希腊罗马神话，词源学，英语习语Analysis on Greco-Roman Mythologys Influence on English VocabularyAbstract Greek mythology is the spiritual product of primitive clan society and the earl

3、iest form of literature in Europe，including the Legend of Gods story and stories of heroes. So-called Roman mythology such as Greek mythology did not actually exist. Until the late age of Roman Republic, writers and poets began to imitate the Roman poets to write their own myth, creating a hybrid “G

4、reco-Roman mythology". Greco-Roman mythology widely affected English. For English, the far-reaching impacts by Greco-Roman mythology can be seen everywhere. This thesis will be discussing about the profound effects on English vocabulary by Greco-Roman mythology. It also lists the reasons why Gr

5、eco-Roman mythology has great influence on English from the view of Etymology, and classifies some representative words which are derived from Greco-Roman mythology source. In the end, it lists some frequently used English idioms in daily life which have Greco-Roman mythology origins. Key words: Gre

6、co-Roman Mythology, Etymology, English idiomContentsIntroduction1Chapter 1 Theoretical Basis and the Reasons Why the Greek and Roman Mythology Influence English Vocabulary11.1 Theoretical Basis11.2 The Reasons Why the Greek and Roman Mythology Affect English Vocabulary11.2.1 Geographical Reason11.2.

7、2 Linguistic and Cultural Reason2Chapter 2 Classification of English Words from Greco-Roman Mythology Sources 22.1 Direct Transformation from the Gods Names22.1.1 The Months22.1.2 The Planets32.2 Other Direct Transformation from the Gods Names42.3 The Derivatives of the Greek and Roman Mythology Nou

8、ns5Chapter 3 The English Idioms from the Greek and Roman Mythology8Conclusion10Acknowledgements11Bibliography12IntroductionGreek Mythology is a group of traditional tales told by the ancient Greeks about the deeds of gods and heroes and their relations with ordinary human beings.The ancient Greeks w

9、orshiped many gods. The same god might have different characteristics in different regions. So each myth may have a number of versions.The Greeks not only retold their myths orally, but also preserved them in literary and artistic works. Homers epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, are one of the major s

10、ources of our knowledge of Greek mythology.Roman mythology is the religious beliefs and practices of the people of ancient Rome. To many people, Roman mythology largely seems a copy of Greek mythology. As Roman and Greek cultures contaminated, ancient Roman gods and goddesses became associated with

11、those in Greek mythology. By the late 6th century B.C. the Romans began to worship three godsJupiter, Juno and Minerva (Zeus, Hera and Athena in Greek mythology).Between the 5th and 1st century B.C. additional Roman mythological figures appeared, nearly all based on the gods and heroes in Greek myth

12、ology. Writers such as Virgil and Ovid borrowed stories from Greek literary and artistic tradition, and attached them to Roman gods, creating a hybrid Greco-Roman mythology.In English, there are many words deriving from Greco-Roman mythology. As time goes by, they become a part of English vocabulary

13、 and English daily life.This thesis will be talking about the influence on English vocabulary by Greco-Roman mythology and listing many representative words and idioms in English which have a Greco-Roman mythology origin. Chapter 1 Theoretical Basis and the Reasons Why the Greek and Roman Mythology

14、Influences English Vocabulary1.1 Theoretical Basis“Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.” （张韵斐，2004:2）Because languages have a long history, etymologists take advantage of content in these languages and content about the

15、 languages to collect knowledge about how vocabulary was used in earlier time. Etymologists utilize the approaches of comparative linguistics to rebuild that old and unavailable information. With this approach, word roots can be traced all the way back to the origin, such as of the Indo-European lan

16、guage family.1.2 The Reasons Why the Greek and Roman Mythology Affects English Vocabulary1.2.1 Geographical ReasonAs we can see from the map above, the British island is located in the west of Europe, while Italy and Greece are located in the south.From the view of geography, all of these three coun

17、tries are maritime powers. The similar geographical situation leads to the cultural exchange and language integration.1.2.2 Linguistic and Cultural ReasonJust like American linguist Sapir once said, “The simplest kind of influence that one language may exert on another is the borrowing of words.” （E

18、dward Sapir, 1921:206）The origin of English loan words is wide-ranging. Under the influence of French, English words in a certain degree, can be roughly divided into Germanic etymology (borrowed from the Old English) and Latin etymology (borrowed from Latin source, mostly from Norman French, some ar

19、e borrowed directly from Latin language).There are many Latin words created from Greco-Roman mythology. English has been absorbing all kinds of language widely. It for sure also absorbed those Latin words derived from myths.Chapter 2 Classification of English Words from Greco-Roman Mythology Sources

20、 “On lexicology, English words can be classified according to different criteria. By origin, English words can be classified as native words and loan words. Words of Anglo-Saxon origin or of Old English are native words, while those borrowed from other languages are loan words or borrowed words.” （张

21、韵斐，2004:68）Most of the borrowed words have been perfectly naturalized during the process of being used. They have transformed to English both in pronouncing and spelling. They arent felt to be foreign anymore. However, there are some words borrowed from alien languages without any change. These word

22、s, even though they are used frequently in English, are known as loan words. Because they still seem to be alien.The English words which have Greco-Roman origins are borrowed words. Since they were developed from Latin words little by little, most of the words are not felt to be foreign anymore.Here

23、s the classification of the English words which have Greco-Roman origins according to taxology.2.1 Direct Transformation from the Gods Names In Greco-Roman mythology, there are some characters that have some certainly typical features or outstanding characteristics, or have special experience. Their

24、 names are transformed into English nouns directly. These transformed nouns remain the spelling, and their meanings are mostly symbolic and extended. Meanwhile, the meaning of connotation and denotation has greatly expanded. Sublimation and transformation of linguistic meaning in this respect are pa

25、rticularly prominent. This direct borrowing makes the dull words more interesting and attractive, and also adds more mystery.2.1.1 The MonthsThere are 12 months in one year. Four of their names are from Greek and Roman mythology. The rest of the names are from the Roman empires.Janus-JanuaryJanus wa

26、s a Roman god who had two faces. He was the god of the gate and the door. One of his face looked into the past while the other face looked into the future. “Janus” is the root of the word January, which is the first month of a year. January is the month which connects the old year and the new year.M

27、ars-MarchMars was a god of war in Roman mythology. His counterpart in Greek mythology was Ares. Mars was the protector of Rome. He was also considered as the father of the founder of Rome, Romulus. “Mars” is the root of the word March. March is the first month of spring, for Mars is the symbol of ge

28、neration and farming.Maia-MayMaia in Greek mythology was the eldest of the Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas. She and her sisters, born in Arcadia, were sometimes called mountain goddesses. Maia was the oldest, most beautiful and shyest. Thats the reason why the month May is the month of flower

29、, freeze and beauty.Juno-JuneJuno was an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She was the sister (but also the wife) of the chief god Jupiter. Juno also looked after the women of Rome. Her Greek equivalent is Hera. Juno was the goddess of marriage. June means “the

30、 month of Juno”, for the ancient Roman thought June is the best month for getting married.2.1.2 The PlanetsScientists named all eight planets of solar system with Roman gods names (except the Earth).Here are the eight gods names and their equivalents in Greek mythology.UranusThe god Chaos was the so

31、urce of all things. From Chaos came Gaea, the Earth. Gaea gave birth to Uranus, who became king of the sky. Gaea mated with Uranus, producing children who were called the Titans. The Titans were strong and large.Cronus-SaturnThe youngest and most important Titan was Cronus (Saturn in Roman Myth). Hi

32、s father Uranus feared his children and prevented them from being born. Gaea called upon Cronus to help. Cronus attacked Uranus with a sickle and cut off his sexual organs and threw them into the sea, taking away his fathers power.Zeus-JupiterIn ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove was t

33、he king of the gods, and the god of sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon. As the patron deity of ancient Rome, he ruled over laws and social order. He was one of three gods of the Capitoline Triad, along with Juno and Minerva. The most important temple of the Roman Rep

34、ublic was dedicated to "Jupiter Best and Greatest". The name of the god was also adopted as the name of the planet Jupiter.Poseidon-NeptunePoseidon was the Greek god of the sea. His character was generally wild and cruel, and he was supposed to cause storms at sea and also earthquakes. Rom

35、ans identified him with their god Neptune. Poseidon was the brother of Zeus and Hades. When the three brothers drew lots to divide the universe, Poseidon received the sea as his territory, while Zeus the heavens, and Hades the Underworld.Hades-PlutoIn ancient Greek religion and myth, Pluto was a nam

36、e for the ruler of the underworld; the god was also known as Hades, a name for the underworld itself. In Greek cosmogony, he received the rule of the underworld in a three-way division of sovereignty over the world, with his brothers Zeus ruling Heaven and Poseidon the Sea; and he abducts Persephone

37、 to be his wife and the queen of his realm.Hermes-MercuryMercury was a messenger and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. Most of his characteristics and mythology were borrowed from the analogous Greek deity, Hermes. Mercury has influenced the name of many things

38、 in a variety of scientific fields, such as the planet Mercury.Aphrodite-VenusVenus was a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths. From the third century BC, the increasing Hellenization of Roman upper cl

39、asses identified her as the equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite.Ares-MarsAres was a god of war and the son of Zeus and Hera. He was cruel, savage and warlike, but didnt seem to have great courage and dignity. He was commonly associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who had a love affair

40、 with him. According to some myths, Aphrodite bore some of Ares children, including Eros, the god of love.2.2 Other Direct Transformation from the Gods NamesAtlas-atlas Atlas was one of a group of gods called Titans. Atlas and the other Titans fought a war against Zeus and the other Olympian gods, b

41、ut were defeated. Zeus punished Atlas by forcing him to stand and support the sky on his shoulder forever.In the 16th century, people used the picture of Atlas supporting the Earth as the frontispiece of maps. Thats the reason why the collection of maps is called atlas in English. Whats more, in cla

42、ssical architecture, there are some muscular male statues. They are used as pillars to support the roof, balcony and other sticking-out parts of the building. These statues are called atlas too.Bertrand Russell regarded Atlas as a tragic hero, “proudly defiant of the irresistible forces that tolerat

43、e, for a moment, his knowledge and his condemnation, to sustain alone, a weary but unyielding Atlas, the world that his own ideals have fashioned despite the trampling march of unconscious power”.Bacchante-bacchanteBacchantes, or Maenads, were a group of women followers who left their homes to wande

44、r in the wilderness with Dionysus, the god of wine. They wore the skins of fawns or panthers and wreaths made of leaves of trees. Inspired by the god of wine, they behaved wildly, singing, dancing and even pulling up trees, catching and tearing apart wild animals, and sometimes eating the flesh raw.

45、Now bacchante means the female drunks, who behave like Dionysus women followers.Diana-DianaDiana was the Roman goddess of the moon. Her equivalent in Greek mythology was Artemis, the daughter of Zeus and Leto, the twin sister of Apollo. She was also the goddess of hunting and wild animals. She remai

46、ned a virgin and was the symbol of chastity. She was believed to be the friend and protector of young women. She granted an easy childbirth to her favorites and gave those who died in childbirth a quick and painless death.Since Diana is the protector of virgins, the word “Diana” is usually used for

47、calling the single ladies. In modern English, Diana is the synonym of unmarried women.Echo-echoEcho was a beautiful nymph. One day when Hera was going to spy on the love affairs between Zeus and nymphs, Echo stopped her and kept talking to her, so that when she found her husband the nymphs had run a

48、way. As a punishment, Hera deprived her of her power of speaking for herself, and the only words she could say were the last words said to her by someone else. Echo fell in love with Narcissus, the son of the river god. Since she could only repeat his words, she annoyed him so much. Echo was so humi

49、liated that she hid in a cave and wasted away until nothing was left of her but her voice.In English, echo means a noise that is repeated because the sound hits a surface and returns. It is said that the meaning of “echo” comes from the story of Echo the nymph.Europa-EuropeEuropa was the goddess of

50、agriculture. She is the daughter of Agenor, the King of Phoenicia. Once she was picking flowers at the seaside. Zeus saw her and had a crush on her for her beauty. He changed his form to a white bull and deceived Europa the princess to ride on his back. He took her to the other side of the sea. The

51、place she was taken to was called Europa, and then little by little it became “Europe”.In ancient Greeks view, the “Europe” was much smaller than what it is nowadays. The “Europe” only referred to the land where Italy and Spain are today.Fortuna-fortuneFortuna (equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche)

52、 was the goddess of fortune and personification of luck in Roman religion. She might bring good luck or bad: she could be represented as veiled and blind, as in modern depictions of Justice, and came to represent life's capriciousness. She was also a goddess of fate.As time went by, “Fortuna” th

53、e name became the synonym of money, luck and fate, so the word “fortune” means all these above.2.3 The Derivatives of the Greek and Roman Mythology NounsThere are also many English words which derive from Greco-Roman myth vocabulary. These words all contain the meanings of their original words. By w

54、atching these words over and analyzing them , we can guess the meaning of them.Aphrodite-aphrodisiac Aphrodite is generally considered to be the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. In Roman mythology she was identified with Venus. According to Hesiod, the writer of Theogony, she was born in the

55、bloody foam of the sea when Cronus castrated Uranus. But according to Homer, she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione. She was married to Hephaestus (Vulcan in Roman mythology), the lame and ugly god of fire. But she was unfaithful to him, and had a love affair with Ares (Mars). She was also the rival

56、 of Persephone, queen of the underworld, for the love of the beautiful Greek youth Adonis.Since Aphrodite was the god of sex, the derivatives of her name are all about sexual desire. The word “aphrodisiac” means a food, drink or drug that provokes the sexuality or makes people want to have sex.Ceres

57、-cerealCeres was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and sister of Zeus. She was the goddess of grain and the harvest. Her equivalent in Greek mythology was Demeter. The Greeks and Romans held festivals and offered gifts to her, so that she would be kind and helpful to them. The most famous story about

58、 her is related to her daughter, Persephone, the queen of the underworld. Her daughter was kidnapped by Hades to be his bride. She was so sad that she wandered throughout the whole world looking for her daughter, neglecting her duties. As a result, the earth became barren and people die of famine.From the name “Ceres” derived the word “cereal”, which means a plant that produces grain, used as food for people and animals, for Ceres was the goddess of “cereal”.Cronus-chron