(But Mr. Ed Means "Wealth")

[sdi]

Okay, okay, while I think that names matter, they don't all matter. Akhilleus's two divine horses were named Ξάνθος "Goldie" and Βαλίος "Spotty."

(Other horses in the Iliad include Πήδασος "Jumper," Ἀρείων "Better," Αἴθη "Blaze," and Πόδαργος "Swiftfoot.")

Comments

[jprussell]

I read somewhere that one plausible etymology of Kerberos was "Spot," so yeah, even if the figure matters, the name isn't always a clue.

[sdi]

I had always heard that too! I looked around and it seems that the PIE folks are walking back from that, it's too tentative. Certainly I see no plausible Greek etymology (but I am not a linguist).

You got me thinking about dogs, though. (I mean, when I'm not already. woof woof) The only dog Homer names, as far as I remember, is Odysseus's poor Ἄργος "bright, shining, glistening."

Maira

[kallianeira]

I can't work out foreign fonts on here. But one of your entries I read recently mentioned a dog called Maira (sparkly?), which is a beautiful name. I want to remember it in case i ever need to name another pet.
My Greek dictionary is somewhere I haven't been able to find it so this is all from my untrustworthy memory.
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