Lethean
/lɪˈθiː.ən/noun
Relating to Lethe or to forgetfulness; causing oblivion or sleep-like forgetfulness.
Did you know?In Greek myth, souls drank from Lethe before reincarnation, so the word carries the eerie idea that forgetting can be a kind of ritual erasure.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Λήθη (Lḗthē)
“Forgetfulness; oblivion, and later the mythic river of Lethe in Hades”
Classical Greek
Greek
ληθ- (lēth-)
“A root associated with forgetting or being hidden from memory”
Late Latin
Latin
Lēthaeus
“Of Lethe; belonging to the river of forgetfulness”
Middle English
English
lethean
“Pertaining to Lethe; causing oblivion or forgetfulness”
Modern English
English
lethean
“Causing forgetfulness; sleep-inducing or oblivion-like”