Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CAD-ME'AN, or CAD'MI-AN, a.

Relating to Cadmus, a reputed prince of Thebes, who introduced into Greece the sixteen simple letters of the alphabet — α, β, γ, δ, ε, ι, κ, λ, μ, ν, ο, π, ρ, σ, τ, υ. These are called Cadmean letters. – Bryant. This personage may be a fabulous being, or if such a person ever existed, he may have been named from his knowledge of letters; for in the ancient Persian, kadeem signified language; Ir. cuadham, to tell or relate; ceadach, talkative; ceadal, a story. Or he may have been named from his eminence or antiquity, קדם kadam, to precede; Arabic, to excel; whence the sense of priority and antiquity; or his name may denote a man from the East.