Where does “bring owls to Athens” come from?
bring owls to Athens (English) comes from Ancient Greek γλαῦκ' εἰς Ἀθήνας, from English Parthenon, from Ancient Greek Παρθενών, from Ancient Greek παρθένος, from Proto-Indo-European pstḗn, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂ǵ-sth₂-ḗn, from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- — to stand.
bring owls to Athens (English): To undertake a pointless venture, one that is...
Definitions
- To undertake a pointless venture, one that is...
Ancestry of “bring owls to Athens”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | γλαῦκ' εἰς Ἀθήνας | Undertaking a pointless, redundant, unnecessary, superfluous, or highly uneconomical venture |
| 2 | English | Parthenon | An ancient temple to Athena and monument in the city of Athens. It is a symbol of Greek achievement in the arts and of Athenian democracy |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | Παρθενών | Parthenon, the famous temple to Athena which resides in Athens |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | παρθένος | maidenly; chaste; young, unmarried woman; maiden |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pstḗn | breast, teat |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₂ǵ-sth₂-ḗn | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |