Idaean

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Belonging to or associated with Mount Ida, the mountain in Crete or the one near ancient Troy linked to classical myth
2. Relating to the sacred mountain Ida of ancient Greek legend, especially its divine associations in Crete and the Troad
3. Describing something connected with the Phrygian or Cretan mountain Ida, a place central to the myths of Zeus and Cybele

Etymology: Mount Ida, the mountain near Troy, gave this word its meaning. In ancient Greek, "Idaîos" was the adjective for anything belonging to that mountain, and Romans took it over as "Idaeus". English then added the familiar "-an" suffix, which turns a place name into an adjective meaning "of or relating to" that place, as in "Athenian" or "Lutheran". The result is a word that is almost never used outside a classical or literary setting. It appears when writers want to evoke the Trojan landscape or the goddess Cybele, whose cult was associated with the mountain. The suffix does the same job it does in many other English adjectives, so the word is simply a place name made into a description.