Ionian

[ ahy-oh-nee-uhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to Ionia.
2. of or relating to the branch of the Greek people named from Ion, their legendary founder.

noun

1. a member of one of the four main divisions of the prehistoric Greeks who invaded the Greek mainland and, after the Dorian invasions, emigrated to the Aegean islands and the coast of Asia Minor. Compare Achaean ( def 5 ), Aeolian ²( def 3 ), Dorian ¹( def 2 ).
2. an Ionian Greek.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Ionian¹

First recorded in 1555–65; Ioni(a) + -an

Example Sentences

We do not read of any remarkable philosophical inquirer until Thales arose, the first of the Ionian school.

From Project Gutenberg

And the Ionian is open to the observation already made with regard to the Phrygian, viz.

From Project Gutenberg

The Ionian, again, is perhaps merely an imperfect form of the same scale, viz.

From Project Gutenberg

Plato treats the claim of Ionian to rank among the Hellenic modes as somewhat doubtful (Laches, p. 188).

From Project Gutenberg

If Hypo-phrygian is the same as the older Ionian (p. 11), the coincidence is complete for the time of Aristotle.

From Project Gutenberg