Pygmalion
/ˌpɪɡˈmæliən/noun
A sculptor in Greek mythology who fell in love with his own ivory statue, and by extension a person who shapes or mentors another.
Did you know?Pygmalion became a cultural symbol for the power of creation and transformation because, in the myth, Aphrodite answers his devotion by animating the statue he carved.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Πυγμαλίων (Pygmalíōn)
“The name of a legendary sculptor in Greek mythology.”
Classical Latin
Latin
Pygmalion
“The Greek mythological name adopted into Latin literature.”
18th–19th Century
French/English
Pygmalion
“A person who shapes, idealizes, or transforms another, especially through mentorship or artistic creation.”
Modern English
English
Pygmalion
“A sculptor in myth; also a mentor or creator figure who helps bring out another's potential.”