Chthonian

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈkθəʊnɪən/

Definitions

1. Pertaining to ancient beliefs about divinities or creatures dwelling in the earth's depths, it encompasses connections to underground realms and natural forces associated with such entities
2. Connected with gods or spirits believed to inhabit the earth beneath the surface
3. Associated with mythological beings that dwell underground or represent the depths of the earth

Etymology: Ancient Greek speakers used "khthónios" for anything situated in or under the ground, and the word leaned heavily on the Greek "khthṓn," meaning "ground" or "earth." Its strongest use was religious. Greek writers applied it to deities and spirits who dwelt beneath the surface, the powers of the underworld and of the dead, set apart from the sky-dwelling gods of Olympus. English took the word straight from that Greek source, so it kept the sense of something belonging to the earth's depths rather than the heavens. Today it is mostly found in scholarly and literary writing about myth and religion, where it names the underworld divinities and the rites meant to appease them. The word's original meaning, literally "of the ground," is still visible in its structure, with the "-ian" ending simply marking the adjective.