Pelasgidae
/ˌpɛl.əˈskɪdiː/noun
A scholarly name for the ancient Pelasgians, a group or population described by Greek and later classical authors.
Did you know?Herodotus reported that some Pelasgians spoke a language unlike Greek, making their identity one of antiquity’s enduring historical mysteries.
Etymological Timeline
Mycenaean or pre-classical period
Greek
Πελασγοί (Pelasgoi)
“The name used for the Pelasgians, a people associated in Greek tradition with lands around the Aegean.”
5th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Πελασγός (Pelasgos)
“Pelasgus, the legendary ancestral figure connected with the Pelasgian name.”
5th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Πελασγοί (Pelasgoi)
“Pelasgians; the plural ethnonym used by authors including Herodotus.”
Classical Latin
Latin
Pelasgi / Pelasgidae
“Latinized forms referring to the Pelasgians or their supposed descendants.”
Modern scholarship
English
Pelasgidae
“A learned historical plural or group designation for the Pelasgians; the name’s ultimate origin remains uncertain.”
Explore more surprising origins