myth

myth
myth (n.) 1830, from Fr. Mythe (1818) and directly from Mod.L. mythus, from Gk. mythos "speech, thought, story, myth, anything delivered by word of mouth," of unknown origin.
Myths are "stories about divine beings, generally arranged in a coherent system; they are revered as true and sacred; they are endorsed by rulers and priests; and closely linked to religion. Once this link is broken, and the actors in the story are not regarded as gods but as human heroes, giants or fairies, it is no longer a myth but a folktale. Where the central actor is divine but the story is trivial ... the result is religious legend, not myth." [J. Simpson & S. Roud, "Dictionary of English Folklore," Oxford, 2000, p.254]
General sense of "untrue story, rumor" is from 1840.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • myth — [mıθ] n [U and C] [Date: 1800 1900; : Greek; Origin: mythos story, speech, myth ] 1.) an idea or story that many people believe, but which is not true = ↑fallacy myth of ▪ the myth of male superiority myth that ▪ the myth that wisdom accompanies… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Myth — is derived from the Greek word μύθος mythos , which simply means story . Academic usageIn the academic fields of mythology, mythography, or folkloristics, a myth is a sacred story involving symbols that are usually capable of multiple meanings… …   Wikipedia

  • Myth — es una saga de videojuegos de estrategia, ambientada en la antigüedad, donde se hace presente una gran mitología, batallas contra seres sobrenaturales y mucha violencia. Títulos de la saga La saga consta de los siguientes títulos: Myth: The… …   Wikipedia Español

  • myth — [ mıθ ] noun ** 1. ) count an ancient traditional story about gods, HEROES, and magic: Greek myths and legends a ) uncount ancient traditional stories: the distinction between myth and history 2. ) count or uncount something that people wrongly… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Myth — (engl. für „Mythos“) steht für: Myth, eine Computerspielserie bestehend aus Myth: The Fallen Lords, Myth II: Soulblighter und Myth III: The Wolf s Age MythTV, eine freie Media Center Software MythBusters, eine Fernsehsendung des US amerikanischen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • MYTH — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Myth. Introduction Le groupe Myth est spécialisé dans le déplombage de jeux vidéos, au même titre que le groupe DEViANCE par exemple. On distingue plusieurs moyens opératoires : le GameRip (GTA III par… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Myth — (m[i^]th), n. [Written also {mythe}.] [Gr. my^qos myth, fable, tale, talk, speech: cf. F. mythe.] 1. A story of great but unknown age which originally embodied a belief regarding some fact or phenomenon of experience, and in which often the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • myth — 1 Myth, legend, saga all mean a story which has come down from the past, which ostensibly relates a historical event or events, and of which the origin has been lost or forgotten. Myth varies considerably in its denotation and connotation… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • myth|i|fy — «MIHTH uh fy», transitive verb, fied, fy|ing. to make mythical; build a myth around (a person, place, thing, or event) …   Useful english dictionary

  • myth|o|pe|ic — myth|o|poe|ic or myth|o|pe|ic «MIHTH uh PEE ihk», adjective. making myths; having to do with making myths …   Useful english dictionary

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