olympiad
UK[əˈlɪm.pi.æd]US[əˈlɪm.pi.æd]
n
a major international competition in a particular sport, especially the modern olympic games.
n
a period of four years between celebrations of the olympic games, used by the ancient greeks in dating events.
Morpheme Breakdown
olymp
iad
olymp
mount olympus
iad
period/celebration
Etymology
the word 'olympiad' originates from the ancient greek 'olympias', which referred to the four-year period between the panhellenic games held at olympia in honor of zeus. the term is directly derived from 'olympia', the sanctuary site named for the nearby mount olympus, the mythological dwelling of the gods. the suffix '-iad' denotes a period or cycle associated with the root, thus creating a term for a recurring celebratory interval. while initially a unit of timekeeping in antiquity, its meaning evolved to denote the games themselves, a usage solidified with the revival of the modern international sporting competition.
Analysis
Structure: olymp (mount olympus) + iad (period/celebration)
olymp (from greek 'olympos', the name of the mountain home of the gods, used as a reference to the ancient games held at olympia). iad (a suffix from greek '-ias', forming nouns meaning a period or celebration connected with the root, as in 'iliad').
Examples
she trained for years to qualify for the international mathematics olympiad.
the first olympiad of the modern era was held in athens in 1896.
according to ancient historians, the event occurred in the third year of the 75th olympiad.