Cornucopia - Word of the Week

Cornucopia

Definition:
Noun.
1: A symbol of plenty. An animal horn filled with fruits and vegetables.

Example: The harvest offered a cornucopia of grain for the winter months.

Traditionally, a cornucopia is shown as a curved goat horn that overflows with grain, fruit and flowers. In modern times, they can be shown as horn-shaped baskets filled with food.

Today, cornucopias are associated with harvest festivals and Thanksgiving in North America, but they originate in ancient Greek mythology.

In one version of the legend, Amalthea, a goat that nursed the god Zeus, broke off a horn, filled it with flowers and presented it to the god. The Greeks believed that the 'Horn of Amalthea' symbolized prosperity, as it could be filled without emptying with whatever the heart desired.

The Romans took on the legend and renamed it the 'horn of plenty' (cornu copiae).  From the original Latin word we have 'cornucopia' today.

You can enjoy a cornucopia of English lessons in our English schools in Boston, and learn more about Thanksgiving and other traditions of the United States.

What would you like in your cornucopia?