Pelasgian

[ puh-laz-jee-uhn, -juhn, -gee-uhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the Pelasgians.

noun

1. a member of a prehistoric people inhabiting Greece, Asia Minor, and the islands of the eastern Mediterranean.

Pelasgian

/ pɛˈlæzdʒɪən /

noun

1. a member of any of the pre-Hellenic peoples (the Pelasgi ) who inhabited Greece and the islands and coasts of the Aegean Sea before the arrival of the Bronze Age Greeks

adjective

1. of or relating to these peoples

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pelasgian¹

1480–90; ≪ Greek Pelásgi ( os ) Pelasgian ( Pelasg ( oí ) Pelasgi + -ios adj. suffix) + -an

Example Sentences

The Pelasgians worshipped the Cabiri, and the Cabiri were originally three in number, hence it is inferred that these Cabiri were the Pelasgian Trinity, and that having in ancient times no name which would have implied a diversity of gods, they worshipped a trinity in unity.

From Project Gutenberg

Nor is the Pelasgian part of the theory easy to reconcile with the Homeric evidence.

From Project Gutenberg

If the Achaeans were a conquering class ruling over a Pelasgian population, we should expect to find this difference of race a prominent feature in Homeric society.

From Project Gutenberg

The population, however, of Pelasgicon Argos and of Dodona is no longer Pelasgian.

From Project Gutenberg

If, however, Professor Ridgeway has failed to prove that “Mycenaean” equals “Pelasgian,” he has certainly proved that much that is Homeric is post-Mycenaean.

From Project Gutenberg