arachnid

Where does the word "arachnid" come from? It comes from Greek Arakhne, and was adopted directly into English (1869).

Arachnid’s story begins in Greek: Arakhne meant “the mythical weaver Arachne.” A mortal weaver in myth transformed into the first spider by a jealous goddess. It reached English by 1869 as arachnid. Named after Arachne, the weaver whom Athena turned into a spider in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Today, arachnid means an eight-legged invertebrate such as a spider, scorpion, or mite.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient Arakhne "the mythical weaver Arachne", a mortal weaver in myth transformed into the first spider by a jealous goddess.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1869 arachnid "a spider or related eight-legged creature", named after Arachne, the weaver whom Athena turned into a spider in Ovid's Metamorphoses.