We have mentioned here before that the name of the Greek goddess אתנה Athena is possibly of a Semitic origin, being but a slight variation on Adena, corresponding to the biblical names DAN and DINAH, from the root אדן ADN, as in אדון העולם ADON HA-OLAM, the master of the universe.
This morning, a man I know, confided to me that he thinks the place name Marathon (from which we have the Boston Marathon) is also of Semitic origin, to wit: מר-אתון MAR-ATHON, there having been in this location of old possibly a temple to this MAR (recall מרדכי MARDKEI = MAR-AD-XAY). I thought that marathon is kind of a kraut, but is there possibly some truth in what this inventive philologue is saying? Isaac Fried, Boston University _______________________________________________ b-hebrew mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
