pygmalion means A legendary sculptor who was granted the wish of having life given to a sculpture of his which he fell deeply in love with.
pygmalion is pronounced /pɪɡˈmeɪliən/.
Why “pygmalion” is a great word
A legendary sculptor of Cyprus in Greek mythology who fell in love with an ivory statue he had carved and, after his wish was granted by Aphrodite, saw it come to life. From Ancient Greek Πυγμαλίων (Pugmalíōn), from Phoenician 𐤐𐤏𐤌𐤉𐤕𐤍 (pʿmytn /puġ‘mayaton/), from 𐤐𐤌𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤍 (pmyytn /pumayyaton/, 'Pumay has given'), composed of 𐤐𐤌𐤉 (pmy, 'Pumay', a deity) and 𐤉𐤕𐤍 (ytn /yaton/, 'to give'). Unlike “Galatea”—which names only the statue, the beloved object—or “Frankenstein”—which evokes a creator of monstrous ambition and ruin—Pygmalion is the archetype of hopeful devotion, the artist who falls in love with his own ideal. It is the composer hearing his melody as if for the first time, the programmer watching his code behave with unexpected grace, the writer discovering a character more real than the room around her; the myth endures as the quiet miracle of a pulse fluttering beneath lips that had never spoken.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek Πυγμαλίων (Pugmalíōn), from Phoenician 𐤐𐤏𐤌𐤉𐤕𐤍 (pʿmytn /puġ‘mayaton/), from Phoenician 𐤐𐤌𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤍 (pmyytn /pumayyaton/, “Pumay has given”), from Phoenician 𐤐𐤌𐤉 (pmy, “Pumay”) + Phoenician 𐤉𐤕𐤍 (ytn /yaton/, “to give”).
name
- A legendary sculptor who was granted the wish of having life given to a sculpture of his which he fell deeply in love with.
noun
- One who acts as the legendary Greek sculptor Pygmalion (who was granted the wish of having life given to a sculpture of his which he fell deeply in love with).
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