Editing Prometheus (section)

==Etymology==
The etymology of the [[theonym]] ''prometheus'' is debated. The usual view is that it signifies "forethought", as that of his brother [[Epimetheus]] denotes "afterthought".<ref name="Prometheus"/> [[Hesychius of Alexandria]] gives Prometheus the variant name of Ithas, and adds "whom others call Ithax", and describes him as the Herald of the Titans.<ref name=ithax>Quoted in {{harvp|Kerényi|1997|p=50}}.</ref> [[Károly Kerényi|Kerényi]] remarks that these names are "not transparent", and may be different readings of the same name, while the name "Prometheus" is descriptive.{{sfnp|Kerényi|1997|pp=50, 63}}

It has also been theorised that it derives from the [[Proto-Indo-European root]] that also produces the [[Vedic Sanskrit|Vedic]] ''pra math'', "to steal", hence ''pramathyu-s'', "thief", cognate with "Prometheus", the thief of fire. The [[Vedic mythology|Vedic myth]] of fire's theft by [[Mātariśvan]] is an analogue to the Greek account.<ref name=fortson>Fortson, Benjamin W. (2004). ''Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction.'' Blackwell Publishing, p. 27; Williamson 2004, 214–215; Dougherty, Carol (2006). ''Prometheus.'' p. 4.</ref> ''Pramant'' was the fire-drill, the tool used to create fire.<ref name=abc>{{cite book |first=Arthur Bernard |last=Cook |url=https://archive.org/details/zeusstudyinancie01cookuoft/page/329 |title=Zeus: A Study in Ancient Religion, Volume 1 |year=1914 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=329 |access-date=5 February 2019 }}</ref> The suggestion that Prometheus was in origin the human "inventor of the fire-sticks, from which fire is kindled" goes back to [[Diodorus Siculus]] in the first century BC. The reference is again to the "fire-drill", a worldwide primitive method of fire making using a vertical and a horizontal piece of wood to produce fire by friction.<ref>Diodurus quoted in {{harvp|Cook|1914|p=[https://archive.org/details/zeusstudyinancie01cookuoft/page/325 325]}}.</ref>