mephitis (a poisonous or pestilential gas from the ground, e.g. from swamps or volcanoes)
Pronunciato come (IPA)
[mɛˈpʰiː.tɪs]
Etimologia (Inglese)
From Mephītis, the name of a Samnite goddess who personified or averted the poisonous gases emitted from swamps and volcanoes. The name is from Oscan 𐌌𐌄𐌚𐌉𐌞 (mefiú) and ultimately Proto-Italic *meðjos (“middle”), as in "one who is in the middle," the sense being that Mephitis encompasses earthly ideas between the subterranean and terrestrial worlds.