Eros
/ˈɪə.rɒs/noun
In Greek mythology, the god or personification of love and desire; in modern usage, intense sexual or romantic desire.
Did you know?In early Greek tradition, Eros could be a primordial cosmic force, not just a cute Cupid figure, linking desire itself to the creation and binding of the world.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁er-
“to move, set in motion; to desire or love (reconstructed root associated with desire and arousal in some derivatives)”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἔρως (érōs)
“sexual love, desire, longing”
Classical Greek
Greek
Ἔρως (Érōs)
“the god or personified force of love and desire”
Late Latin
Latin
eros
“used as a learned borrowing from Greek in philosophical and literary contexts”
Modern English
English
eros
“romantic or sexual love; in psychoanalysis, the life drive or love instinct”