Katabasis
English
Original Entry: View on Wiktionary
Alternative Forms
- catabasis
Etymology
From Ancient Greek κατάβασις (katábasis), from καταβαίνω (“to go down”), from κατά (“down”) + βαίνω (“to go”).
Pronunciation
- IPA: /kəˈtæbəsɪs/
- Approximate: kuh-TAB-uh-sis
Transliterations
- Katakana: カタバシス (katabashisu)
- Hangul: 커태버시스 (keo-tae-beo-si-seu)
- Zhuyin: ㄎㄚˋ ㄊㄚˊ ㄅㄚˋ ㄙㄧˋ ㄙ (approximate phonetic rendering)
- Cyrillic: катабасис (katabasis)
Noun
katabasis (plural: katabases)
- (Mythology, Literature) A narrative motif or trope in which a hero descends into the underworld.
- (By extension, jocular) Any journey downward or fall.
- A retreat, especially a military one. (Antonym: anabasis)
- A journey from the interior of a country to the coast.
- (Rare) The presence of downward (drainage or katabatic) winds.
Walkthrough Video
In Media
- The Odyssey, Book 11 — Odysseus’s descent into the underworld (a classic katabasis).
- Audiobook: The Odyssey (LibriVox)