pro·te·an [proh-tee-uh
n, proh-tee-] –adjective 1. readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable. 2. changeable in shape or form, as an amoeba. 3. (of an actor or actress) versatile; able to play many kinds of roles. 4. ( initial capital letter ) of, pertaining to, or suggestive of Proteus And we all know their penchant for Greek allusions...
In Greek mythology, Proteus (Πρωτεύς) is an early sea-god, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea", whose name suggests the "first" (from Greek "πρῶτος" - protos, "first"), as protogonos (πρωτόγονος) is the "primordial" or the "firstborn". He can foretell the future, but, in a mytheme
familiar from several cultures, will change his shape to avoid having
to; he will answer only to someone who is capable of capturing him. From
this feature of Proteus comes the adjective protean,
with the general meaning of "versatile", "mutable", "capable of
assuming many forms". "Protean" has positive connotations of
flexibility, versatility and adaptability.
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