Where does “Heracles” come from?
Heracles derives from Ancient Greek Ἡρακλῆς, a compound of ἥρως (hero) and κλέος (glory), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱlew- meaning to hear or be famous.
Heracles (English): Son of Zeus and Alcmene, a celebrated hero who possessed exceptional strength. Most famous for his 12 labours performed to redeem himself after killing his family
Definitions
- Son of Zeus and Alcmene, a celebrated hero who possessed exceptional strength. Most famous for his 12 labours performed to redeem himself after killing his family
Ancestry of “Heracles”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | Ἡρακλῆς | Heracles |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | -κλῆς | An element found in given names |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | -κλέης | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | κλέος | rumour, report; good report, fame, glory; bad... |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | kléwos | fame |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱléwos | fame |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlew- | to hear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |