ἀράχνιον

Word

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Mon, 07/26/2021 - 13:21

Word-form

ἀναρριχᾶσθαι

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ

Transliteration (Word)

anarrichaomai

English translation (word)

to scramble up

Transliteration (Etymon)

arachnion

English translation (etymon)

1. web; 2. (little) spider

Author

Herodian

Century

2 AD

Reference

Peri pathôn, Lentz III/2, p. 386

Edition

A. Lentz, Grammatici Graeci III/2, Leipzig 1870

Source

Scholia in Aristophanis Pacem

Ref.

Schol. in Arist. Pac. 70d

Ed.

D. Holwerda, Scholia in Vespas, Pacem, Aves et Lysistratam [Scholia in Aristophanem 2.2], Groningen: Bouma, 1982

Quotation

καὶ τὸ ἀναρριχᾶσθαι δὲ τοῖς Ἀττικοῖς παρὰ τὸ ἀράχνιόν ἐστι γενόμενον, ἀραχνιῶ, καὶ ἐν ὑπερθέσει τῶν στοιχείων ἀναρριχῶ τοῦ μὲν ν εἰς τὴν χώραν τοῦ ρ τεθέντος, τοῦ δὲ [ι] ἀμοιβαίως [καὶ τοῦ ρ] εἰς τὴν χώραν τοῦ ν, τοῦ δὲ χ πλησίον τοῦ ω. ταῦτα Ἡρωδιανὸς ἐν τῷ ‹ι›ϛ΄ τῆς καθόλου.

Translation (En)

And the verb anarrikhāsthai "to scramble up" in Attic comes from arakhnion "small spider", hence *arakhniō, and with metathesis of the letters *anarrikhō, the n taking the place of the r, and the i and the r, in return, taking the place of the n, and the kh next to the ō. This is what Herodian says in the 16th book of the Peri tês katholikês prosôdias (Herodian III/1, 438).

Comment

Fanciful etymology using ad hoc permutations. The symmetrical explanation stating that arakhnē "spider" is derived from anarrikhāsthai is also found (Etym. Gudianum, alpha 184). The scholion to Aristophanes says it comes from the Peri katholikēs prosōdias by Herodian. Lentz attributes it to the Peri pathôn.

Parallels

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 803 (Ἀναρριχᾶσθαι· σημαίνει τὸ ἀναδίδοσθαι τὸ ὕδωρ· καὶ οἱονεὶ τρόπον ἀράχνης τοῖς ποσὶ καὶ χερσὶν ἀντιλαμβανόμενον ἀνιέναι πρὸς τὸ πρόσαντες. ἀραχνιῶ ἀραχνιᾶσθαι καὶ ἀναρριχᾶσθαι τοῦτό ἐστιν. οὕτως Ἡρωδιανὸς ἐν τῷ Περὶ παθῶν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 99 (ἀναρριχᾶσθαι: σημαίνει τὸ ἀναδίδοσθαι τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ οἱονεὶ τρόπον ἀράχνης τοῖς ποσὶ καὶ χερσὶν ἀντιλαμβανόμενον ἀνιέναι πρὸς τὸ πρόσαντες. ἀραχνιῶ ἀραχνιᾶσθαι καὶ ἀναρριχᾶσθαι ταὐτόν ἐστιν. οὕτω <τεχνικὸς> ὁ ἀνήρ [the Etym, Magnum has ἐθνικός ὁ ἀνήρ]); Suda, alpha 2313 (εἴρηται δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρρίχων. εἶδος δέ ἐστι κοφίνων, οὓς εἰώθασι διὰ σχοινίων ἀνιμᾶν. ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀραχνῶν, καί ἐστιν οἷον ἀραχνᾶσθαι· αἱ γὰρ ἀράχναι νήθουσι κατὰ τὰς ἐναερίους ὁδούς. Ἀριστοφάνης· πρὸς ταῦτ’ ἀνερριχᾶτ’ ἂν πρὸς τὸν οὐρανόν. περὶ τοῦ κανθάρου λέγων)

Modern etymology

Unknown

Persistence in Modern Greek

Αναρριχώμαι is still used in Modern Greek (only in the contracted form) to designate the action of 'climbing', either literary, e.g., 'to climb a mountain', or metaphorically, e.g., for a powerful position (Triandafyllidis, Dict. of Modern Greek).

Entry By

Marco Vespa
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