Odyssey roughly translates to “The story of Odysseus”, so yes, the name existed before Homer’s story. The semantic connection of odyssey and a long, dangerous and arduous journey came way after that.
Wow, I really hate to be this pedantic, but it’s semantic satiation. I only remember because I had a similar experience thinking it was “saturation” because it just makes more sense, but apparently we’re wrong.
The Odyssey was called Odysseia. The suffix -eia is an abstract noun suffix, so it’s sort of like a titular case for the name. Following the same logic, it would be Homereia and thus Homerey.
The Odyssey was part of the Epic Cycle, so Homer likely inherited the figure of Odysseus from those stories. Whether he made up the name or the name Odysseus was already established, we simply do not know. Much has been lost to time, sadly.
Odyssey roughly translates to “The story of Odysseus”, so yes, the name existed before Homer’s story. The semantic connection of odyssey and a long, dangerous and arduous journey came way after that.
You could say it was an odyssey for odyssey to get that meaning
Odyssey no longer feels like a word. Damn you, semantic saturation!
Wow, I really hate to be this pedantic, but it’s semantic satiation. I only remember because I had a similar experience thinking it was “saturation” because it just makes more sense, but apparently we’re wrong.
No need to apologise, this is the kind of thing I hate getting wrong. Satiation. Satiation.
Hopefully it will stick in the future.
Does that mean a story about Homer would be a Homey?
The Odyssey was called Odysseia. The suffix -eia is an abstract noun suffix, so it’s sort of like a titular case for the name. Following the same logic, it would be Homereia and thus Homerey.
but before the book no one was named Odysseus ever
The Odyssey was part of the Epic Cycle, so Homer likely inherited the figure of Odysseus from those stories. Whether he made up the name or the name Odysseus was already established, we simply do not know. Much has been lost to time, sadly.