Mythoses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Stories passed down in a culture that typically feature gods, heroes, or supernatural events and explain natural or social phenomena ; a popular belief or narrative that is false or unsupported by evidence
2. Traditional narratives from a culture's past, often featuring divine or legendary figures and accounting for origins or customs ; an unfounded idea accepted widely despite lacking factual basis
3. A traditional tale involving mythical or heroic figures that embodies a culture's values and understanding ; a widespread but mistaken notion or misconception held as truth

Etymology: "Mythoses" is the plural of "mythos," so it is formed by adding the plural ending "-es" to that noun. "Mythos" comes from ancient Greek "mythos," meaning word, speech, or story, and in classical usage it was the root from which "myth" was later drawn. The plural ending is simply the Greek-derived pattern in which words ending in "-os" form their plural by changing to "-oi" in Greek, but English speakers have instead adopted the ending "-es" for the plural. The result is a rare, mostly scholarly form, used when writers discuss several distinct mythic narratives or systems of belief as separate entities.