What is the meaning of the word "echidna"? This is the name of some animal species. And also designate a mythical character. And also, sometimes, they say so about an evil and caustic person, although this word is now among the obsolete in the Russian lexicon. From this noun, the adjective "sneaky" is formed, as well as the verbs "sneer" or "sneer" (meaning "evil to mock someone").
So, the word "echidna" has more than one meaning. In this article, we will look at all of them and give a little explanation for each of them.
Snake Woman
Without a doubt, the first echidna (or Echidna) appeared among the ancient Greeks. And the word itself comes from the ancient Greek eχιδνα, which means "viper" in translation.
Echidna is a half-woman, half-snake of enormous stature. In ancient Greek mythology, there were several such snakes of female and divine origin (they were also called dracains): these are Kampa, Keto, Delphine, Skilla, Lamia, Pan and sometimes Python.
Woman,having a snake body with a beautiful face, such was the meaning of the word "echidna". According to myths, her character was distinguished by ferocity and malice, for which, as you might guess, the snake essence of this monster was responsible. In some images, she has a hundred heads.
According to historians and folklorists, it is the ancient Greek Echidna that owes its appearance to the mysterious creature Vuivre, which later could be found in old French folk legends. In any case, it was described very similarly:
The image of a man is immat from the waist up, like a girl, and from the waist down the image of crocodiles is immat.
Except that there was a small difference - in the forehead of the voivre, the precious stone "carfuncle" was burning of unprecedented beauty.
Bible character
In both the Old and New Testaments, the meaning of the word "echidna" comes down to a dangerous poisonous snake - a viper or, perhaps, a cobra. Later, this word migrated in its use to designate evil, unrighteous and crafty people, whose temper made them fear them. Hence the ancient expression "breeding of vipers" - this is how, for example, Jesus Christ addresses the Pharisees (Gospel of Matthew).
Echidnas - representatives of the fauna
Strange, but zoologists for some reason decided to use the word, which has long been attributed to the "serpent" meaning, to call the egg-laying marsupial animal that lives in Australia. Remotely, the echidna resembles a hedgehog with a rather large beak. This is a unique species of fauna - a bird beast, which at the same time isand mammals. In addition, the Australian echidna is the closest relative of the platypus, as well as one of the oldest living creatures that inhabit the Earth.
The same word is used to call the genus of Black snakes or Asps, living in the same Australia and New Guinea. These are poisonous snakes, whose bite is dangerous to humans.
Echidna - and a genus of marine ray-finned fish, which are otherwise called moray eels. They are found off the coast in the eastern Pacific.
Echidna moray eels are quite colorful creatures and are not particularly demanding to care for, therefore they are popular as inhabitants of home aquariums.
We told you what "echidna" means.
