Etymology and Geomythology: Uncovering Hidden Histories of Earth and Language

Abstract

This paper investigates the interrelated roles of etymology and geomythology in revealing how human cultures have interpreted, named, and remembered the Earth across time. By situating language at the centre of interdisciplinary inquiry, the study demonstrates how scientific terminology, particularly vocabulary with Greco-Roman roots, encodes narratives, metaphors, and cultural memory within its structure. Drawing on connectionist cognitive theory, it argues that etymology strengthens semantic networks by linking linguistic forms to mythic and symbolic associations, thereby enhancing vocabulary acquisition and conceptual understanding. The paper then turns to geology and mythology, showing how traditional societies encoded environmental events such as earthquakes, eruptions, and floods into durable mythic narratives. Through foundational geomythological scholarship, including Vitaliano’s work and subsequent cross-cultural studies, the analysis demonstrates how myths function as repositories of environmental knowledge. In parallel, scientific nomenclature continues to draw on mythological figures, such as Atlas, Prometheus, or Hades, embedding cultural memory within modern mineralogy and chemistry. Finally, the paper examines the figure of Hades/Pluto as an interdisciplinary nexus connecting geology, psychology, astronomy, art, and pedagogy. This approach illustrates how geomythology serves as a bridge between the sciences and humanities, offering an integrated framework for teaching, interpretation, and understanding the deep entanglement of Earth, language, and imagination.