Where does “protean” come from?

Protean comes from Ancient Greek Πρωτεύς, the name of a sea god known for his ability to change shape.

protean (English): Exceedingly variable; readily assuming different...

Definitions

  1. Exceedingly variable; readily assuming different...

Ancestry of “protean”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishProteanOf or relating to Proteus
2EnglishProteusA sea god who could change his shape at will
3Ancient GreekΠρωτεύς{{w|Proteus}}, a sea god who could change his...
Every word from Ancient Greek Πρωτεύς →Every word from English Proteus →Every word from English Protean →