Sunday Word: Chthonian

[sallymn]

chthonian [thoh-nee-uhn]

adjective:
(classical mythology) of or relating to the deities, spirits, and other beings dwelling under the earth; of or relating to the underworld

Examples:

This terrestrial approach is almost alchemical and emphasized by the exhibition's title hermetic aspect: 'Sonde d'arc-en-taupe' mentions two complementary patterns, mole tunnels and rainbows, a way of linking the cosmos and the chthonian world, the stars and the underground. (Jean-Marie Appriou, Palais de Tokyo, February 2022)

So if The Dunwich Horror ends up happening and manages to be successful, I’ll bet a canvas bag full of chthonian artifacts that the third film will be The Shadow over Innsmouth. (Tom Reimann, Hollywood Has a Lovecraft Problem, Collider, February 2020)

This chthonian belief - that the world’s underbelly rumbles with life - guides all the so-called Earth-based faiths. (Michael Tortorello, If a Druid Rings the Doorbell, The New York Times, October 2013)

Our trains are not ambushed by dragons, suicide bombers, or chthonian tentacle monsters. Frankly, given the quality of the postprandial conversation, this is not a net positive. (Charles Stross, The Fuller Memorandum)

The chthonian deities form a counterpart to the dwellers on Olympus. (John Addington Symonds, Studies of the Greek Poets)

It must be strange to die, surrounded by jackals at their chthonian litanies. (Martin Swayne, In Mesopotamia)

Origin:

'of or pertaining to the under world,' 1882, with -ic + Latinized form of Greek khthonios 'of the earth, in the earth,' from khthōn 'the earth, solid surface of the earth' (mostly poetic), from PIE root dhghem- 'earth.' (Online Etymology Dictionary)