undine

/'ʌndi:n/

Thân thiện

A graceful undine rises from the surface of a moonlit forest pond.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A female water spirit or nymph in European folklore: An "undine" is a mythological being, typically depicted as a beautiful woman associated with a water source such as a stream, lake, or fountain. In some traditions, an undine could gain a soul by marrying a mortal man and bearing his child.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The legend tells of an undine who lived in the forest pool.
  • In the story, the fisherman fell in love with a mysterious undine.

Advanced Usage

• In literature and art: The concept of the undine has been used extensively in Romantic literature, opera, and ballet, often symbolizing the mysterious, alluring, and sometimes dangerous aspect of nature.
  • Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué's 1811 novella "Undine" is a famous literary work based on this myth.

Variants and Related Words

• Ondine: A variant spelling, especially in French contexts (from French ).
  • The ballet "Ondine" is based on the same mythological figure.
• Naiad: (Noun) A type of nymph in Greek mythology associated with fresh water, similar to an undine.
• Nixie: (Noun) A female water spirit in Germanic mythology, closely related to the undine.

Synonyms

• Water nymph
• Water sprite
• Nymph

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "An Undine's curse": A literary allusion referring to a tragic fate or a condition tied to the elemental nature of a water spirit, often involving love and loss.
  • Their doomed romance felt like an Undine's curse.

Học thuật

Noun

1. any of various female water spirits