Peloponnesian

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the southern region of Greece, known for its geographical, cultural, and historical significance
2. Pertaining to the peninsula in Greece that includes ancient city-states such as Sparta and Corinth
3. Connected to the historical conflicts and cultural developments of the Peloponnese region during ancient times

Etymology: Peloponnesian is a simple formation: the name of the peninsula in southern Greece, Peloponnese, plus the adjectival suffix "-ian." The place name itself has a more elaborate past. In Greek myth, Pelops was a king whose name supplied the first half of "Pelopónnēsos," meaning "island of Pelops," because the land was thought of as his domain, with "nêsos" ("island") as the second element. Ancient Greek writers used the word in exactly that geographic sense, and the Latin form "Peloponnēsus" was taken from it. The English adjective is a learned borrowing, formed in English from the place name rather than passed down through speakers. Its most famous use is in the title of Thucydides' account of the war between Athens and Sparta and their allies, which is known as the "Peloponnesian War." Because the conflict was named after the region where Sparta lay, the adjective came to mean "connected with that war," and then, more loosely, anything tied to the peninsula's ancient history.