pygmalion

See also: Pygmalion

English

Etymology

From Pygmalion, 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).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɪɡˈmeɪliən/

Noun

pygmalion (plural pygmalions)

  1. 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), as in George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion in which he sometimes refers to his main character (Henry Higgins) as Pygmalion Higgins.

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