Folk-Etymology, and its Influence on Metatron Traditions

What is it about?

This article surveys past attempts to find an etymology of the name of the angel Metatron, before arguing that the endeavour itself may be flawed, because many of the most famous traditions assigned to Metatron were based-around the beliefs of ancient authors about what the name Metatron meant. Therefore, there was a circular process of folk-etymology influencing the nature of the angel, rather than the nature of the angel informing the name, as has usually been presumed.

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