English
wikipedia

Etymology 1
From Middle English < Latin < AGr. polytonic|�μαζ�ν (Amaz�n). The Greeks said the word meant breastless: �- (a-) "not" + polytonic|μαζ�� (mazos) "breast" (from the Greek myth that the warrior women were so dedicated to excel in war that they amputated one breast so that it would not interfere with the strap used to hold their quiver of arrows). The Greek etymology is most probably incorrect and comes from a much older word, an Ionian Greek pronunciation of the Persian word "hamazan," meaning "fight as a group," as the Amazon women were known warriors. Ionians did not aspirate the first syllable, and the word became "amazon" to the Greeks in general. The incorrect Greek etymology probably gave rise to the myth that Amazon women would amputate a breast in order to fight proficiently, an anecdote which is almost certainly not true.

Pronunciation
italbrac|RP IPA|/�æm�z�n/
italbrac|US IPA|/�æm�z��n/
audio|en-us-Amazon.ogg|Audio (US)

Proper noun
en-noun

1. Greek mythology a member of a mythical race of female warriors inhabiting the Black Sea area
2. a female warrior

Translations
trans-top|Mythological female warrior
Croatian: t-|hr|Amazonka|f
Russian: t+|ru|амазонка|f|tramazónka|scCyrl
trans-mid
trans-bottom

Etymology 2
Spanish, Río Amazonas. It is common belief that the Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana fought a battle against a tribe of Tapuya savages, in which the women fought alongside the men. He no doubt derived the name from the Amazons in Greek mythology.

Adjective
Amazon

1. relating to the area around the Amazon River in South America (e.g., the Amazon Basin, the Amazon Rainforest); or referring to the river itself, The Amazon

Translations
trans-top|Pertaining to the Amazon river
Russian: t-|ru|�мазонка|f|trAmazónka|scCyrl
trans-mid
trans-bottom

Proper noun
Amazon

1. rivers A river of South America that flows through Brazil for about 4000 miles to the South Atlantic.

Translations
trans-top|River
Croatian: t-|hr|Amazona|f
Czech: Amazonka f
Japanese: ����� (amazongawa)
trans-mid
trans-bottom

Derived terms
Amazonian

rfc-split

Noun
amazon

1. Any of the large parrots from the genus Amazona.

Latin

Noun
Amazon, Wiktionary Appendix:Latin third declension|-onis f

1. an #English|Amazon
2. a female warrior

fr:Amazon
io:Amazon
ku:Amazon
fi:Amazon
zh:Amazon

• 2007-12-25 07:01 - Daniel Polansky - /* Translations */ +Czech

Full Revision History