phoenix

Where does the word "phoenix" come from? It comes from Greek phoinix, passing through Latin and Old English before entering English (1500s).

Phoenix’s story begins in Greek: phoinix meant “phoenix.” Herodotus says the Egyptians told of a bird that came to Heliopolis every 500 years. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as phoenix. The Roman poet Ovid tells how it builds its own funeral nest. From there it passed into Old English as fenix by 800s-1000s. The Old English poem 'The Phoenix' made it a symbol of Christ's resurrection. It reached English by 1500s as phoenix. Its Greek spelling was restored by Renaissance scholars. Today, phoenix means a mythical bird that rises from its own ashes.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient phoinix "phoenix", Herodotus says the Egyptians told of a bird that came to Heliopolis every 500 years.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient phoenix "phoenix", the Roman poet Ovid tells how it builds its own funeral nest.
3. Stage 3 · Old English · 800s-1000s fenix "phoenix", the Old English poem 'The Phoenix' made it a symbol of Christ's resurrection.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1500s phoenix "mythical bird", its Greek spelling was restored by Renaissance scholars.