Euxine Sea
Preserved but no longer current.
The Greek name for the Black Sea (#.v.), meaning the "hospitable." It was originally called by that people Axeinos, inhospitable, on account of its stormy charac- ter and rocky shores; but this name was changed euphemistically, as it was never thought wise to give a derogatory (even though true) name to any force of nature. Cp. ERINYES and EUMENIDES.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Euxine Sea” mean?
The Greek name for the Black Sea (#.v.), meaning the "hospitable." It was originally called by that people Axeinos, inhospitable, on account of its stormy charac- ter and rocky shores; but this name was changed euphemistically, as it was never thought wise to give a derogatory (even though true) name to any force of nature. Cp. ERINYES and EUMENIDES.
Is “Euxine Sea” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.