Mycenian
/maɪˈsiːniən/noun
Relating to Mycenae, its civilization, or the culture of the Greek Late Bronze Age.
Did you know?Mycenae’s legendary royal tombs helped inspire later Greek stories about Agamemnon, though the historical connection between the archaeological site and Homeric legend remains debated.
Etymological Timeline
Mycenaean Greek period
Mycenaean Greek
𐀖𐀒𐀙𐀊 (mu-ke-na-i)
“A Linear B place-name generally identified with Mycenae.”
Archaic Greek
Ancient Greek
Μυκῆναι (Mykênai)
“The ancient city of Mycenae; the exact original meaning of the place-name is uncertain.”
Classical Greek
Ancient Greek
Μυκήνη (Mykḗnē)
“Mycenae, the legendary citadel associated with the House of Atreus.”
Latin antiquity
Latin
Mycenae
“The Latin name for the Greek city.”
19th Century
English
Mycenian
“Relating to Mycenae or its archaeological culture; an English adjective formed from the place-name.”
Modern English
English
Mycenian
“Relating to Mycenae or to the Mycenaean civilization of the Late Bronze Age.”
Explore more surprising origins