Andromeda
/ænˈdrɒm.ɪ.də/noun
A figure in Greek mythology, a constellation, and the name of a genus of flowering shrubs.
Did you know?The name comes from Greek myth: Andromeda was the princess offered to a sea monster as punishment, and her name is built from aner/andros (“man”) + medomai (“to rule, devise, protect”), not from the galaxy.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Andromédē (Ἀνδρομέδη)
“A mythological princess name, traditionally interpreted as “ruler of men” or “she who rules over men.””
Classical Greek
Greek
anēr, andros (ἀνήρ, ἀνδρός)
““Man” or “male adult.””
Classical Greek
Greek
medomai (μήδομαι)
““To devise, plan, rule over, protect.””
Latin
Latin
Andromeda
“A borrowed proper name used in Roman literature and astronomy.”
Modern English
English
Andromeda
“The mythological figure, the constellation, and later the name of a genus of shrubs.”