The word 'phoenix' is a compound word, taken from the word phoebus, meaning, "radiant one,"(1) and Anak, meaning, "(long) neck" Thus phoenix means "shining one with a long neck." When used with the name Apollo, you get "long-necked destroyer of light."
An additional meaning of the word Anak is "tall." This fits because in the Bible, the sons of Anak are described as being giants. So an alternate definition of phoenix would be "tall (great) destroyer of light." This would also give it the title "great bringer of darkness."
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anak
UPDATE: I was wrong about the meaning of the word phoenix. I now believe it to be Egyptian in origin, taken from the word Tahpanhes. Over time, with different pronunciation, Tahpanhes would sound like this: Tahpanhes, tahpanhex, the panhex, the phanex, the phenix, the phoenix. The phoenix bird is actually a direct reference to the prophet Jeremiah, how he took the daughters of Zedekiah, King of Israel, and took them into Egypt, then took Tamar (who is named Tea Tephi) and went into Ireland. Here are the verses: "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants. He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs." Ezekiel 17: 1-6
Fits perfectly, doesn't it?
An additional meaning of the word Anak is "tall." This fits because in the Bible, the sons of Anak are described as being giants. So an alternate definition of phoenix would be "tall (great) destroyer of light." This would also give it the title "great bringer of darkness."
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anak
UPDATE: I was wrong about the meaning of the word phoenix. I now believe it to be Egyptian in origin, taken from the word Tahpanhes. Over time, with different pronunciation, Tahpanhes would sound like this: Tahpanhes, tahpanhex, the panhex, the phanex, the phenix, the phoenix. The phoenix bird is actually a direct reference to the prophet Jeremiah, how he took the daughters of Zedekiah, King of Israel, and took them into Egypt, then took Tamar (who is named Tea Tephi) and went into Ireland. Here are the verses: "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants. He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs." Ezekiel 17: 1-6
Fits perfectly, doesn't it?
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