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, August 6, 2007

Gnome

In Germanic myths, a gnome is a small, humanoid creature that lives under ground. Gnomes are thought to be very intelligent. They do work for humans if they like them.

English word: In English, gnome has retained its original meaning. Garden gnomes are small statues placed in gardens. The best-known gnome is the roaming gnome, used in advertising for trevelocity. Gnome is also the name of a free software project, providing a desktop for the Unix operating system.
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