Ulysses

Latin name for Odysseus, from Latin Ulysses, Ulixes. Famous for wandering as well as craftiness and ability at deceit. For -d- to -l- alteration, see lachrymose.

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Odysseus

king of Ithaca at the time of the Trojan War, son of Laertes and Anticleia, from Greek Odysseus, a name of unknown origin. Epic poets connected it with odyssasthai "to be angry, be grieved, grumble," but this now is regarded as folk-etymology. Beekes writes that "the name is typically Pre-Greek ... on account of the many variants." Among them are several by-forms with -l-: Olysseus, Olytteus, Oulixeus, etc., hence Latin Ulysses,Ulixes.

lachrymose (adj.)

also lacrymose, 1660s, "tear-like," from Latin lacrimosus "tearful, sorrowful, weeping," also "causing tears, lamentable," from lacrima, lacryma "a tear," a dialect-altered borrowing of Greek dakryma "a tear," from dakryein "to shed tears, weep, lament with tears," from dakry "a tear" (from PIE *dakru- "tear;" see tear (n.1)). Meaning "given to tears, tearful" is first attested 1727; meaning "of a mournful character" is from 1822. Related: Lachrymosely.

The -d- to -l- alteration in Latin is the so-called "Sabine -L-"; compare Latin olere "smell," from root of odor, and Ulixes, the Latin form of Greek Odysseus. The Medieval Latin practice of writing -ch- for -c- before Latin -r- also altered anchor, pulchritude, sepulchre. The -y- is pedantic, from the former belief that the word was pure Greek. Earlier in the same sense was lachrymental (1620s). Middle English had lacrymable "tearful" (mid-15c.).

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