barathrum

[prettygoodword]

barathrum - n., an abyss; a person who eats like a bottomless pit.


Originally, a pit in ancient Athens into which condemned criminals were thrown. This became (apparently in Latin?) a general word for an abyss. Exactly when this was transferred to the person, I can't find (there's a Finnish doom metal band getting in the way) but I wouldn't be surprised to learn Dante had something to do with it. Via Latin from Greek, meaning pit or gulf.

---L.

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Curse those Finnish doom metal bands and their evocative names!

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

Srsly. Hasn't Finland given us enough metal groups already? Time, perhaps, for them to colonize another musical genre for the greater glory of the Lapps?

---L.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

LOL, there's always Loituma, right? (Better known to kids on the internet as the backing vocals put with this cartoon)

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

They count as different, but one band does not a colony make (Abba notwithstanding).

---L.