Apollo: Encyclopedia II - Apollo - Etymology of the name

Apollo - Etymology of the name

The name Apollo might have been derived from a Pre-Hellenic compound Apo-ollon ^{[citation needed]}, likely related to an archaic verb Apo-ell- and literally meaning "he who elbows off", that is "the Dispelling One." Indeed, he seems to have personified dispelling power, which would relate to his association with the darkness-dispelling power of the morning sun and the conceived power of reason and prophecy to dispel doubt and ignorance. In addition:

• The apparent expelling character of city walls and doorways as bulwarks against trespassers
• The people-dispelling nature of disembarkations and expatriations to colonies
• The disease-dispelling character of healing
• The predator-dispelling character of a shepherd tending his flocks
• The pest-dispelling nature of a farmer growing crops
• The power of music and the arts to dispel discord and barbary
• The highly important power of fit and skilled young men to dispel intruders and invading armies
• The ability of foresight into the future

An explanation given by Plutarch in Moralia is that Apollon signified a unity, since pollon meant "many," and the prefix a- was a negative. Thus, Apollon could be read as meaning "deprived of multitude." Apollo was consequently associated with the monad.

Hesychius connects the name Apollo with the Doric απελλα, which means assembly, so that Apollo would be the god of political life, and he also gives the explanation σηκος ("fold"), in which case Apollo would be the god of flocks and herds.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Etymology of the name", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki