Myth & LegendGreek → English
Satyr
/ˈsætər/noun
A lustful woodland spirit of Greek myth, part man and part beast.
The Greek roots
σάτυρος
sátyros
woodland spirit
Literally: “satyr”
Follow a root:σάτυρος1 word
The story of the word
On early Greek vases satyrs have horse ears and horse tails; the goat legs came later, from Roman artists blending them with fauns and Pan. Each tragic trilogy at the Athenian festival was followed by a satyr play, a short rude piece with a chorus of them, so the audience went home laughing. Satire is a different word, from Latin satura, a mixed dish.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Latin → English
- First recorded
- 14th century
The same roots elsewhere
Other languages reached for exactly the same Greek pieces.
Same family
satyriasissatyric
In a sentence
A drunken satyr sprawls across the base of the krater.