Calypso
/kəˈlɪp.soʊ/noun
A West Indian style of music and dance, or a Greek sea nymph who detained Odysseus on her island.
Did you know?In Greek myth, Calypso’s name comes from the same root as the verb that means “to cover, hide, or conceal,” so her power was literally built into her name.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel-
“to cover, conceal, or hide”
Ancient Greek
Greek
καλύπτω (kalýptō)
“I cover, conceal, hide”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Καλυψώ (Kalypṓ)
“the nymph's name, understood as “she who conceals””
18th Century
English
calypso
“the name of the Greek nymph in classical tradition”
18th–19th Century
English
calypso
“a lively song or dance style, later especially associated with Trinidad”
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