Aeolian

¹ American  

[ee-oh-lee-uhn] / iˈoʊ li ən /

Or Eolian

adjective

1. Also belonging to a nation of people in ancient Greece named after Aeolus, its legendary founder.

2. (lowercase) noting or pertaining to sand or rock material carried or arranged by the wind.

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noun

1. a member of one of the four main divisions of the prehistoric Greeks.

2. Aeolic.

Aeolian ² American  

[ee-oh-lee-uhn] / iˈoʊ li ən /

adjective

1. pertaining to Aeolus, or to the winds in general.

2. Usually aeolian of or caused by the wind; windblown.

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aeolian ¹ British  

/ iːˈəʊlɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the wind; produced or carried by the wind

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Aeolian ² British  

/ iːˈəʊlɪən /

noun

1. a member of a Hellenic people who settled in Thessaly and Boeotia and colonized Lesbos and parts of the Aegean coast of Asia Minor

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adjective

1. of or relating to this people or their dialect of Ancient Greek; Aeolic

2. of or relating to Aeolus

3. denoting or relating to an authentic mode represented by the ascending natural diatonic scale from A to A: the basis of the modern minor key See also Hypo-

aeolian Scientific  

/ ē-ō′lē-ən /

1. See eolian

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Etymology

Origin of Aeolian¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin Aeoli(ī), (from Greek Aioleîs “the Aeolians,” with change of suffix) + -an

Origin of Aeolian¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; Aeoli(us) pertaining to Aeolus + -an adjective suffix; -an

Example Sentences

Experts at navigating the steep landscape of Alicudi, in the Aeolian archipelago north of Sicily, the goats have become a problem as they damage gardens and allotments.

From BBC

It’s one of the Aeolian islands in Italy, and it looks out on Stromboli.

From New York Times

At first we turned to nature: The Aeolian harps found across ancient civilizations required only the intervention of the wind to share their song.

From Washington Post

In 1921, the New York Times extended microaggressive praise for the “unusual” Hagan’s “uncommon gifts” following a recital at Aeolian Hall — referring to her as “one of those exotic musical souls born to be pioneers.”

From Washington Post

This is an example of Aeolian mode in the American folk song “Aeolian Lullaby.”

From Literature