Phaedra

Translingual

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Phaedra f

1. (obsolete) A taxonomic genus within the family Lycaenidae – now Curetis.

References

• Phaedra (butterfly) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Curetis on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

English

Etymology

From Latin Phaedra, from Ancient Greek Φαίδρᾱ (Phaídrā).

The myth has been retold several times, in plays (in classical times in Euripides's Hippolytus and Seneca the Younger's Phaedra, later in Racine's Phèdre), and more recently in other media.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfiːdɹə/
• Hyphenation: Phae‧dra

Proper noun

Phaedra

1. (Greek mythology) The wife of Theseus, who falls in love with but is spurned by her stepson Hippolytus, then commits suicide, but is the cause of his later death (details vary between versions).
   • 1981, Normand Berlin, The Secret Cause: A Discussion of Tragedy, page 46:

     We notice that Racine's Phaedra, like Euripides', displays high moral dignity because she considers her passion for Hippolytus to be abominable.

   • 1993, Albert S. Gérard, The Phaedra Syndrome: Of Shame and Guilt in Drama, page 20:

     Why did Seneca decide to postpone his own Phaedra’s suicide until after Hippolytus' death? The question is by no means as futile as it may sound.

   • 2003, Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood, Tragedy and Athenian Religion, page 331:

     I may add that the notion that Aphrodite is especially cruel because she destroyed Phaedra, who was an innocent victim, since she had no choice, is not a perception that would have been shared by the ancient audience. Not only is it at the very least arguable—in fact likely—that in ancient eyes Phaedra did have a choice,¹⁶⁶ but also the very notions "innocent victim since she had no choice" and "cruel because destroying an innocent victim" are unstable cultural concepts.

2. (rare) A female given name from Ancient Greek.
3. (astronomy) The asteroid 174 Phaedra.

Derived terms

• Phaedra complex

wife of Theseus

• Esperanto: Fedra (eo)

Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Φαίδρᾱ (Phaídrā).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈpʰae̯.dra/, [ˈpʰäe̯d̪rä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfe.dra/, [ˈfɛːd̪rä]

Proper noun

Phaedra f sg (genitive Phaedrae); first declension

1. (Greek mythology) Phaedra

Declension

First-declension noun, singular only.

	singular
nominative	Phaedra
genitive	Phaedrae
dative	Phaedrae
accusative	Phaedram
ablative	Phaedrā
vocative	Phaedra

References

• “Phaedra”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Phaedra in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.