The word “Icarian” developed in Latin, but the origins are in the Greek myth of Icarus. According to the legend, Icarus and his father, Daedalus, fled imprisonment using giant wings made of feathers and wax, but Icarus didn’t heed his father’s warning about the sun. His wings melted, and he fell to his death. “Icarian” likely developed as a way to quickly and easily reference this myth. Literary characters and conversational turns-of-phrase such as “flying too close to the sun” embody key elements of his overly ambitious traits, ensuring the Icarian legend soars on.