Olympics
/əˈlɪmpɪks/noun
An international sporting event held every four years, traditionally featuring athletes representing nations around the world.
Did you know?The ancient Olympic Games were held as a religious festival for Zeus at Olympia, and the competitions included sacrifices, prayers, and ritual processions.
Etymological Timeline
Mycenaean Greek, possibly 2nd millennium BCE
Early Greek
*Olympos
“The ancient place-name later associated with Mount Olympus; its deeper origin remains uncertain.”
Archaic Greek, 8th–6th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Ὀλυμπία (Olympía)
“Olympia, the sanctuary and festival site in the western Peloponnese dedicated especially to Zeus.”
776 BCE
Ancient Greek
Ὀλύμπια (Olýmpia)
“The Olympic games and religious festival traditionally dated to their first recorded celebration.”
Latin, 1st Century BCE onward
Latin
Olympia; Olympius
“Olympia and Olympic, referring to the sanctuary, games, or the gods of Mount Olympus.”
16th–18th Century
English
Olympic
“Relating to Mount Olympus, the Olympian gods, or the ancient Greek games.”
19th Century
English
Olympics
“The modern international revival of the Olympic Games, first held in Athens in 1896.”