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Word for Wednesday: Mentor


Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is words that derive from Greek mythology. So far, we’ve looked at the words atlas and chaos. Today’s word is mentor.

A mentor is a wise and trusted guide and advisor who may serve as a teacher or counsellor. Here is mentor used in some example sentences:

  • Yoda is Luke Skywalker’s Jedi mentor.
  •  She mentored young artists in her free time. 
  • I am looking for a mentor to learn from as I grow my business.

In Greek mythology, Mentor was the advisor to Telemachus (the son of Odysseus and Penelope who are the central characters in Homer’s Odyssey). 

In many versions of the myth, the goddess Athena disguised herself as Mentor and convinced Telemachus to stand up to his mother’s suitors and search for his missing father who had not returned from the Trojan War.

The word has been used in English to describe an advisor or counsellor since 1750 and to describe the act of mentoring since 1888.
 


15 Jun 2022
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