Cassandra

See also: cassandra

English

WOTD – 7 November 2013

Etymology

Ancient Greek Κασσάνδρα (Kassándra).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /kəˈsæn.dɹə/, /kəˈsɑːn.dɹə/
  • (General American, æ-tensing) IPA^(key): /kəˈsɛən.dɹə/
• /-sæn-/:

  Audio (US)

  (file)

• /-sɑːn-/:

  Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

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Proper noun

Cassandra

1. (Greek mythology) A prophetess who was daughter of King Priam of Troy and his queen Hecuba. She captured the eye of Apollo and was granted the ability to see the future; however, she was destined never to be believed.
   • 1897, Michael Clarke, The Story of Troy, page 30:

     And so when Cassandra foretold the evils that were to come upon Troy, even her own people would not credit her words.

2. A female given name from Ancient Greek.
   • 1605, William Camden, Remains Concerning Britain, John Russell Smith, published 1870, page 56:

     But succeeding ages (little regarding S. Chrysosthome's admonition to the contrary) have recalled prophane names, so as now Diana, Cassandra, Hyppolytus, Venus, Lais, names of unhappy disaster are as rife, as ever they were in paganism.

   • 1890, Frederick W. Beers, Gazetteer and Biographical Record of Genesee County, N.Y., 1788–1890, page 656:

     Warren J. Tyler, son of Joel, was born in Byron, July 28, 1828. He married Cassandra Tyler, of Stafford, and has four children living.

   • 2004, Torey Hayden, chapter 1, in Twilight Children, HarperCollins UK, published 2013, →ISBN:

     "What's your name?" I asked.
     "Cassandra."
     Ah, a mythical name. It fit with the fairy-tale looks.

   • 2013, M. C. Beaton, chapter 4, in Miss Tonks Turns to Crime:

     Cassandra sat down on a small sofa next to Mrs Budley.

3. An unincorporated community in Walker County, Georgia, United States.
4. A small borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States.

Derived terms

• Cass
• Cassie
• Sandra

Translations

prophetess who was daughter of King Priam of Troy

• French: Cassandre (fr) f
• Galician: Casandra (gl) f
• Greek: Κασσάνδρα (el) f (Kassándra)

  Ancient: Κασσάνδρα f (Kassándra)

• Italian: Cassandra (it) f
• Polish: Kasandra (pl) f
• Romanian: Casandra
• Russian: Касса́ндра (ru) f (Kassándra)
• Spanish: Casandra (es) f
• Swedish: Kassandra (sv)

See also

• Jeremiah

Noun

Cassandra (plural Cassandras)

1. A person who makes dire predictions, especially those which are not believed but which turn out to be true.

   Synonyms: doomsayer; see also Thesaurus:oracle

   • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter V, in Romance and Reality. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 36:

     "Well, take my word for it, those girls will never marry; marriage is like money—seem to want it, and you never get it." The Cassandra was scarcely departed, when the objects of her oracle appeared—Mrs. Fergusson and her two daughters.

   • 1876–1877, "The New Republic", book III, chapter IV, page 46 in Belgravia: An Illustrated London Magazine, volume XXXI

     'By the way,' said Mr. Saunders […] , 'I suppose I may speak the truth freely, as I know well enough that all to whom my vaticinations would be unwelcome are sure to mistake me for a Cassandra.'

   • 1997 March 9, Paul Krugman, “Does Getting Old Cost Society Too Much?”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     When Cassandras like Pete Peterson, the former Commerce Secretary, present alarming numbers about the future burden of baby boomers on the budget, it turns out that only part of that prospective burden represents the sheer demographic effects of an aging population: […]

Translations

person who makes dire predictions

• Greek: Κασσάνδρα (el) f (Kassándra)
• Polish: kasandra (pl) f

Anagrams

• sandaracs

Italian

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Κασσάνδρα (Kassándra).

Proper noun

Cassandra f

1. (Greek mythology) Cassandra
2. a female given name