The story
- Ancient Greek · derived fromΠυρηναῖος
- Latin · derived fromPȳrēnaeī
- Middle French · derived fromPyrenees
- Middle English · inherited fromPireneies
- English todayPyrenees
From Middle English Pireneies, partly from Middle French Pyrenees and partly from Latin Pȳrēnaeī (montēs) (literally “Pyrenean (mountains)”), plural of Pȳrēnaeus (“Pyrenean”), from Ancient Greek Πυρηναῖος (Purēnaîos), from Πῡρήνη (Pūrḗnē, “Pyrene”, literally “fruit-stone”) + -αῖος (-aîos). According to mythology, Pyrene was a daughter of King Bebryx who was loved or violated by Heracles; after fleeing into the wilderness and dying, she was buried by him, and the Pyrenees were said to be named after her.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.