Panathenaea

Meanings

1. A festival formerly held annually in Athens to honour the city's patron goddess Athena, involving animal sacrifices, a grand procession, and, every fourth year, athletic and musical contests.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Panathēnaea, and from its etymon Ancient Greek Πᾰνᾰθήναιᾰ (Pănăthḗnaiă), a noun use of the neuter plural of Παναθηναῖος (Panathēnaîos, “Panathenian”) (in Παναθήναια ἱερᾰ́ (Panathḗnaia hierắ, “Panathenian solemnities”)), from πᾰν- (păn-, prefix meaning ‘all; every’) + Ἀθηναῖος (Athēnaîos, “of or relating to Athens, Athenian”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns). Ἀθηναῖος (Athēnaîos) is derived from either Ἀθῆναι (Athênai, “Athens”) or Ᾰ̓θήνη (Ăthḗnē, “Athena, patron goddess of Athens”) + -ῐος (-ĭos, suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives).