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Pæan

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A hymn to Apollo, and applied to the god himself. We are told in Dr. Smith’s Classical Dictionary, that this word is from Pæan, the physician of the Olympian gods; but surely it could be no honour to the Sun-god to be called by the name of his own vassal. Hermsterhuis suggests pauo, to make to cease, meaning to make diseases to cease; but why supply diseases rather than any other noun? The more likely derivation, me judice, is the Greek verb paio, to dart; Apollo being called the “fardarter.” The hymn began with “Io Pœan.” Homer applies it to a triumphal song in general.

 

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Pactolus
Padding
Paddington Fair
Paddle Your Own Canoe
Paddock
Paddi-whack
Paddy
Padua
Paduasoy or Padësoy
Pæan
Pæan
Pagan
Pagan Works of Art
Page
Page (Mr. and Mrs.)
Pagoda
Paint
Paint the Lion (To)
Painter
Painter of the Graces
Painter of Nature