What Does The Name Calypso Mean, And What Origin Is It From?

Calypso is a feminine name and is of the Greek origin. It means "she who hides". It is a name from the Greek mythology. Calypso is the name of the nymph who sheltered Odysseus on her island for 7 years. Calypso is also the name of a kind of extemporaneous folk singing in the country of Trinidad and Tobago.

There is still confusion as to where do the word Calypso originated from. Several theories have been put forward; first states that Calypso is derived from a Carib word "carieto", meaning a joyous song; am archaic French word "carouse" meaning a drinking party; a Spanish word "caliso" also used for a topical song in St. Lucia; "careso", a topical song from Virgin Islands; a West African term "Kaiso".

Calypso is a Greek name which originally meant "I will conceal" or "I will cover (with a veil.") In Homer's Odyssey (which probably dates from the 8th century BC, though te stories it is based on are even older) Calypso was a minor goddess or sea nymph. When the Greek hero Odysseus, returning from the Trojan war, was shipwrecked on her island, Calypso fell in love with him and kept him prisoner for seven years, trying to persuade him to return her love.

Despite Calypso's beauty and magic powers, Odysseus could not forget his beloved wife Penelope. In the end the gods told Calypso to let him go, and finally she repented, helping him out with a ship and some advice on how to deal with the dangers ahead. Odysseus then left for his native kingdom of Ithaca, and Calypso never saw him again.

Calypso is also the name of a type of West Indian music.