Myrmidon – Wacky Word Wednesday

Hi everyone and welcome back to Wacky Word Wednesday! It’s been three weeks since we rang in 2014 and we hope you’re inspired more than ever to keep your New Year’s resolutions. If you endeavor to build your vocabulary this year, then you’ve come to the right place.  Are you ready for today’s word?

myrmidon [mur-mi-don, -dn] noun A faithful follower who carries out orders without question.

Myrmidon comes from the Greek μυρμηδών or murmedon, meaning ant bed or ant’s nest. According to Greek mythology, the myrmidones were the people whom Zeus made from ants, which in Greek is myrmes. They were followers of Achilles, a Greek hero of the Trojan War and were known for their skill in battle and loyalty to their leaders. Hence, the word came to signify a loyal follower, someone who will do whatever you say. It can also refer to someone who unquestioningly carries out the violent orders of a leader.

The Greeks considered myrmidons to be the perfect soldiers because they possessed several ant-like traits. One of the many fascinating facts about ants is that they are capable of carrying objects 50 times their own body weight with their mandibles. Recently, a group of scientists have uncovered a mind-boggling technique that fire ants use to survive during a flood. Their cooperative behavior enables them to survive and thrive in less than ideal conditions. That’s why Solomon, one of the wisest kings on earth, once wrote, “Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest” (Proverbs 6:6-8). So if you have a pest problem at home, you know that it takes more than just a broom or a vacuum cleaner to kill these tiny creatures.

To wrap up our study, here are two examples of myrmidon used in a sentence:

• Baron von Frankenstein’s lab assistant and servant, Igor, was in every way a myrmidon.
• The boss was more likely to offer promotions to her myrmidons than to those workers who occasionally questioned her tactics of proposed alternate solutions. (lordkilgore.com)

Well, that’s all for today’s edition of Wacky Word Wednesday. We hope to see y’all again soon!

If you’re interested in learning more wacky words, make sure to visit csoftintl.com!