Menelaus
/ˌmɛnəˈleɪəs/noun
Menelaus is the legendary king of Sparta and husband of Helen in Greek mythology.
Did you know?Menelaus was not only a mythic Spartan king but also the name of Menelaus of Alexandria, the ancient mathematician associated with Menelaus’s theorem in geometry.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*men-
“To think, have in mind, or summon mental force; the likely root behind the first element.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂lewh₂-
“People or community; the proposed ancestral root behind the Greek word for “people.””
Ancient Greek
Greek
Μενέλαος (Menelaos)
“A compound traditionally analyzed as ménos, “might or force,” plus laós, “people.””
Classical Greek
Greek
Μενέλαος
“Menelaus, the Spartan king whose wife Helen was taken to Troy according to epic tradition.”
Latin Antiquity
Latin
Menelaus
“The Latin form of the Greek personal name, used in mythological and historical writing.”
16th Century
English
Menelaus
“The established English form of the Greek mythological name.”