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ArchivesRe: Perse[phone]...?
in reply to a message by Sabertooth
In Greek word for murder is φόνος / phonos, and voice is φωνή / phone. Since Persephone is written Περσεφόνη and not Περσεφώνη we can rule out "voice" as a possible meaning of the name. However the meaning of Persephone is unknown and there are many alternative spellings (Persephassa / Phersephassa / Persephatta / Phersephatta etc.) that could lead to alternative etymologies.
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How interesting! Φερσέφασσα (Phersephassa) alludes to φάσσα / phassa, a dove.
Not what you would might expect from a nasty conqueror who kills and plunders :-)
Not what you would might expect from a nasty conqueror who kills and plunders :-)
This message was edited 11/9/2015, 4:41 AM
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So, boiled down, her name means "mass murderer...!?"
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Because she is the personification of Death, as her husband is the grave. It's possible, given the wide variation in the Homeric hymns and ancient poems, that the later Persephone is another example of Greek folk etymology, i.e. respelling the name to use more familiar elements..
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