Mythful Meanings

In the English language, many meanings come from myths. This blog considers many of those words.

Myths are stories people tell to explain the great mysteries of life, such as birth and death, why the sun rises and sets, and why the moon changes in a predictable pattern.

I decided to start over from the end of the alphabet and work toward the beginning. I have a stack of index cards with information typed on them, all in alphabetical order. When I started this blog, I started at A, because I didn't realize that all the entries would be pushed down.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Phaeton

In ancient Latin as well as Greek, Phaeton was the sun of the sun god, Helios. When Helios allowed Phaeton to drive the sun chariot, Phaeton drove so close the earth almost burned up. To prevent that, Zeus struck him down with a thunderbolt.

English word: Our word phaeton means a type of light, four-wheeled carriage with no sidepieces. It also means a type of open car body with two cross seats.

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