Pegasus
/ˈpɛɡəsəs/noun
In Greek mythology, a winged divine horse said to have sprung from the blood of Medusa.
Did you know?Ancient Greek tradition linked Pegasus with springs and fountains, especially the sacred Hippocrene spring on Mount Helicon, which he was said to create by striking the ground.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European (proposed)
PIE
*pag-
“A debated root meaning “to fasten” or “make firm,” sometimes connected with Greek pēgē and the name Pegasus.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
pēgē (πηγή)
“Spring, fountain, or source; this is the traditional proposed connection behind Pegasus’s name, though the name may also be pre-Greek.”
Archaic Greek
Greek
Pegasos (Πήγασος)
“The proper name of the winged divine horse in Greek myth; its ultimate origin is uncertain.”
Classical Greek
Greek
Pēgasos
“Pegasus, the immortal winged horse associated with Zeus and sacred springs.”
Latin
Latin
Pegasus
“The mythological winged horse, borrowed from Greek.”
Modern English
English
Pegasus
“A winged horse of Greek mythology; also the name of a constellation and a symbol of poetic or imaginative inspiration.”