Alphadictionary.com

paean

Printable Version
Pronunciation: pee-ên Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. A song of praise. 2. A song, poem, or other expression of profound joy, gratitude, or triumph.

Notes: The original paean was a hymn of praise sung to Apollo or other gods for safety before going into battle, or on other occasions. Do not confuse today's Good Word with a peon [pee-ahn] "serf, drudge, underpaid worker", with the stronger second syllable. No one would write a paean to a peon.

In Play: Paeans tend to be formal expressions of praise or triumph, "Gladys Dunn's farewell speech was a paean to all those she had worked for without a crumb of recognition for those who had worked for her." Are you tired of apologizing for the state of your home? Try this instead: "My house is a passionate paean to disorder."

Word History: Today's Good Word is an exact copy of Latin paean "hymn of thanksgiving". The Romans simply transliterated the Greek paian, a commonization of Paian. This word was originally the name of the physician to the gods but later became a form of address for the god Apollo, to whom most paeans were addressed. No one really knows where Paian?s name comes from. (No better source for a word as Greek as today's than the Stargazer of our Alpha Agora, Larry Brady)

Dr. Goodword, alphaDictionary.com

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