Dionysus
/ˌdaɪ.əˈnaɪ.səs/noun
The Greek god of wine, ecstasy, fertility, theater, and religious frenzy.
Did you know?The name Dionysus is likely pre-Greek or at least not transparently Greek, which is exactly why scholars treat it as a linguistic mystery rather than a clean mythic compound.
Etymological Timeline
Mycenaean Greek
Greek
di-wo-nu-so
“An early form of the god’s name in Linear B tablets”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Diónysos
“The name of the god associated with wine, ritual ecstasy, and theater”
Classical Latin
Latin
Dionysus
“The Greek god adopted into Roman literary and religious tradition”
Modern English
English
Dionysus
“The standard English form of the Greek god’s name”