Etymology

Minoan

M3I1N1O1A1N1

Today it means: Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age (about 3000-1050 B.C.E.). Full definition →

Ancient Greek Μίνως
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromΜίνως
  2. English todayMinoan

Sir Arthur Evans, not knowing the Minoan term for “Minoan” at the time, coined this name in the early 20th century, from Ancient Greek Μίνως (Mínōs), the mythical king of Crete. The actual name is probably reflected in Egyptian kftjw (perhaps reconstructible as *Káftayu) and Biblical Hebrew כַּפְתּוֹר (Kaftor, “Caphthor”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.