Mausolus
/ˈmɔːsələs/noun
Mausolus was a fourth-century BCE ruler of Caria whose monumental tomb at Halicarnassus became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Did you know?The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was so famous that the Greek word for it, mausōleion, eventually became the modern English word “mausoleum.”
Etymological Timeline
4th Century BCE
Carian/Greek
Μαύσωλος (Maússōlos)
“The personal name of Mausolus, a Persian-appointed ruler of Caria in southwestern Anatolia; the name’s deeper Carian meaning is uncertain.”
4th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Μαυσωλεῖον (mausōleion)
“The tomb or monument of Mausolus at Halicarnassus.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
mausoleum
“A monumental tomb, originally referring to the tomb of Mausolus.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
mausoleum
“A grand sepulchral monument or burial building.”
17th Century
English
mausoleum
“A large, stately building or chamber used for burial.”
Modern English
English
Mausolus
“The historical ruler whose name became the source of “mausoleum.””