"chthonic" meaning in English

See chthonic in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈkθɒnɪk/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈθɑnɪk/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-chthonic.wav [Southern-England] Forms: more chthonic [comparative], most chthonic [superlative]
Rhymes: (Received Pronunciation) -ɒnɪk, (General American) -ɑnɪk Etymology: From Ancient Greek χθών (khthṓn, “ground, soil”) + -ic. Etymology templates: {{der|en|grc|χθών||ground, soil}} Ancient Greek χθών (khthṓn, “ground, soil”), {{suffix|en||ic}} + -ic Head templates: {{en-adj|-|more}} chthonic (not generally comparable, comparative more chthonic, superlative most chthonic)
  1. Dwelling within or under the earth. Wikipedia link: Clytemnestra, Greek mythology, Orestes Pursued by the Furies Tags: not-comparable, usually Derived forms: chthonic law Related terms: Chthonia, chthonian, cthonic Translations (dwelling within or under the earth): χθόνιος (khthónios) (Ancient Greek), ctònic (Catalan), ktooninen (Finnish), chthonien (French), ctónico [masculine] (Galician), chthonisch (German), χθόνιος (chthónios) (Greek), chtoniczny (Polish), ctónio [Portugal] (Portuguese), ctônio [Brazil] (Portuguese), ctónico [Portugal] (Portuguese), ctônico [Brazil] (Portuguese), хтони́ческий (xtoníčeskij) (Russian), ctónico (Spanish), ktonisk (Swedish), хтоні́чний (xtoníčnyj) (Ukrainian), isfydol (Welsh), cthonig (Welsh)
    Sense id: en-chthonic-en-adj-7Y~Nl92b Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -ic

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for chthonic meaning in English (6.8kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "χθών",
        "4": "",
        "5": "ground, soil"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek χθών (khthṓn, “ground, soil”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "",
        "3": "ic"
      },
      "expansion": "+ -ic",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Ancient Greek χθών (khthṓn, “ground, soil”) + -ic.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more chthonic",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most chthonic",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-",
        "2": "more"
      },
      "expansion": "chthonic (not generally comparable, comparative more chthonic, superlative most chthonic)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "chthon‧ic"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ic",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "chthonic law"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The young pantheon had remanded their elders to the role of smouldering, chthonic gods; to inhabiting dark, deep places, hidden from mortal eyes and influence.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1835, C[arl] [i.e., Karl] O[tfried] Müller, “Religious Point of View”, in Dissertations on The Eumenides of Æschylus: With the Greek Text and Critical Remarks, Cambridge: Printed at the Pitt Press, by John Smith, for J. and J. J. Deighton; also for John William Parker, London, →OCLC, page 220",
          "text": "In this ceremony the Olympian Gods are placed in opposition to the Chthonic genii, the divinities of death and the dark side of nature, in which class the heroes are also reckoned; but Zeus Soter is conceived as a third and lord over both worlds.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1886, Arthur J[ohn] Evans, “Recent Discoveries of Tarentine Terra-cottas”, in The Journal of Hellenic Studies, volume VII, London: Published by the Council, and sold on their behalf by Macmillan and Co., 29, Bedford Street, Strand, London, →OCLC, page 17",
          "text": "In connexion with these Chthonic surroundings, the form of the head-dress which crowns the recumbent figure of Dionysos-Pluto, and is also occasionally seen on the kead of the Kourotrophos at the foot of the couch, is of considerable significance.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1959, Quentin Froebel Maule, Votive Religion at Caere: Prolegomena, page 114",
          "text": "There is no god more chthonic than the god of death, Leinth, and it is he that holds on his left knee Maris Halna, who (in mere innocence) shows no fear of him.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 112",
          "text": "The snake symbolizes the chthonic force, the being which crawls along the ground; the bird symbolizes the higher realms of the consciousness, the being which is liberated from earth and can fly off to Heaven.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Christine Zuni Cruz, “Self-determination and Indigenous Nations in the United States: International Human Rights, Federal Policy and Indigenous Nationhood”, in Lisa Strelein, editor, Dialogue about Land Justice: Papers from the National Native Title Conference, Canberra, ACT: Aboriginal Studies Press, page 162",
          "text": "[H. Patrick] Glenn refers to Indigenous law as chthonic law, because it is the law of chthonic peoples – peoples 'who live ecological lives by being chthonic, that is, by living in or in close harmony with the earth'.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 52",
          "text": "A most striking thing about Hainin’s fauna is how chthonic it is.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Dwelling within or under the earth."
      ],
      "id": "en-chthonic-en-adj-7Y~Nl92b",
      "links": [
        [
          "Dwelling",
          "dwell"
        ],
        [
          "earth",
          "earth"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "Chthonia"
        },
        {
          "word": "chthonian"
        },
        {
          "word": "cthonic"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable",
        "usually"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "ctònic"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "ktooninen"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "chthonien"
        },
        {
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ctónico"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "chthonisch"
        },
        {
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "chthónios",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "χθόνιος"
        },
        {
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "khthónios",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "χθόνιος"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "chtoniczny"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "tags": [
            "Portugal"
          ],
          "word": "ctónio"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "tags": [
            "Brazil"
          ],
          "word": "ctônio"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "tags": [
            "Portugal"
          ],
          "word": "ctónico"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "tags": [
            "Brazil"
          ],
          "word": "ctônico"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "xtoníčeskij",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "хтони́ческий"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "ctónico"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "ktonisk"
        },
        {
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "xtoníčnyj",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "хтоні́чний"
        },
        {
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "isfydol"
        },
        {
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
          "word": "cthonig"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Clytemnestra",
        "Greek mythology",
        "Orestes Pursued by the Furies"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkθɒnɪk/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈθɑnɪk/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "(Received Pronunciation) -ɒnɪk"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "(General American) -ɑnɪk"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-chthonic.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chthonic.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chthonic.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chthonic.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chthonic.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "chthonic"
}
{
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "chthonic law"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "χθών",
        "4": "",
        "5": "ground, soil"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek χθών (khthṓn, “ground, soil”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "",
        "3": "ic"
      },
      "expansion": "+ -ic",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Ancient Greek χθών (khthṓn, “ground, soil”) + -ic.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more chthonic",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most chthonic",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-",
        "2": "more"
      },
      "expansion": "chthonic (not generally comparable, comparative more chthonic, superlative most chthonic)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "chthon‧ic"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "Chthonia"
    },
    {
      "word": "chthonian"
    },
    {
      "word": "cthonic"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English 2-syllable words",
        "English adjectives",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English terms derived from Ancient Greek",
        "English terms suffixed with -ic",
        "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "Rhymes:English/ɑnɪk",
        "Rhymes:English/ɑnɪk/2 syllables",
        "Rhymes:English/ɒnɪk",
        "Rhymes:English/ɒnɪk/2 syllables"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The young pantheon had remanded their elders to the role of smouldering, chthonic gods; to inhabiting dark, deep places, hidden from mortal eyes and influence.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1835, C[arl] [i.e., Karl] O[tfried] Müller, “Religious Point of View”, in Dissertations on The Eumenides of Æschylus: With the Greek Text and Critical Remarks, Cambridge: Printed at the Pitt Press, by John Smith, for J. and J. J. Deighton; also for John William Parker, London, →OCLC, page 220",
          "text": "In this ceremony the Olympian Gods are placed in opposition to the Chthonic genii, the divinities of death and the dark side of nature, in which class the heroes are also reckoned; but Zeus Soter is conceived as a third and lord over both worlds.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1886, Arthur J[ohn] Evans, “Recent Discoveries of Tarentine Terra-cottas”, in The Journal of Hellenic Studies, volume VII, London: Published by the Council, and sold on their behalf by Macmillan and Co., 29, Bedford Street, Strand, London, →OCLC, page 17",
          "text": "In connexion with these Chthonic surroundings, the form of the head-dress which crowns the recumbent figure of Dionysos-Pluto, and is also occasionally seen on the kead of the Kourotrophos at the foot of the couch, is of considerable significance.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1959, Quentin Froebel Maule, Votive Religion at Caere: Prolegomena, page 114",
          "text": "There is no god more chthonic than the god of death, Leinth, and it is he that holds on his left knee Maris Halna, who (in mere innocence) shows no fear of him.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 112",
          "text": "The snake symbolizes the chthonic force, the being which crawls along the ground; the bird symbolizes the higher realms of the consciousness, the being which is liberated from earth and can fly off to Heaven.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Christine Zuni Cruz, “Self-determination and Indigenous Nations in the United States: International Human Rights, Federal Policy and Indigenous Nationhood”, in Lisa Strelein, editor, Dialogue about Land Justice: Papers from the National Native Title Conference, Canberra, ACT: Aboriginal Studies Press, page 162",
          "text": "[H. Patrick] Glenn refers to Indigenous law as chthonic law, because it is the law of chthonic peoples – peoples 'who live ecological lives by being chthonic, that is, by living in or in close harmony with the earth'.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 52",
          "text": "A most striking thing about Hainin’s fauna is how chthonic it is.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Dwelling within or under the earth."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Dwelling",
          "dwell"
        ],
        [
          "earth",
          "earth"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable",
        "usually"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Clytemnestra",
        "Greek mythology",
        "Orestes Pursued by the Furies"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkθɒnɪk/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈθɑnɪk/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "(Received Pronunciation) -ɒnɪk"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "(General American) -ɑnɪk"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-chthonic.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chthonic.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chthonic.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/89/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chthonic.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chthonic.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "ctònic"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "ktooninen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "chthonien"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ctónico"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "chthonisch"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "chthónios",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "χθόνιος"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "khthónios",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "χθόνιος"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "chtoniczny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "tags": [
        "Portugal"
      ],
      "word": "ctónio"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "tags": [
        "Brazil"
      ],
      "word": "ctônio"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "tags": [
        "Portugal"
      ],
      "word": "ctónico"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "tags": [
        "Brazil"
      ],
      "word": "ctônico"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "xtoníčeskij",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "хтони́ческий"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "ctónico"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "ktonisk"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "xtoníčnyj",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "хтоні́чний"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "isfydol"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "dwelling within or under the earth",
      "word": "cthonig"
    }
  ],
  "word": "chthonic"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (1d5a7d1 and 304864d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.