a titan, son of Uranus and Gaia; Latinized form of Greek Iapetos, which is of uncertain origin. It has been connected with biblical Japheth or with Greek iaptein "to put forth, send forth" (perhaps as "the one thrown" by Zeus into Tartaros" or "the one who throws" a spear, etc.). Beekes finds these improbable and suggests that, as the name of a pre-Olympian god, it is a Pre-Greek word.