undine
/'ʌndi:n/
Definition
- 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.
Noun
-
any of various female water spirits
