λαλῶ

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No

Last modification

Thu, 08/05/2021 - 14:03

Word-form

λάλη

Transliteration (Word)

lalē

English translation (word)

talk, chat

Transliteration (Etymon)

lalō

English translation (etymon)

to talk, to chat

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

Fragment 295

Edition

C. Theodoridis, Die Fragmente des Grammatikers Philoxenos [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 2. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1976]: 93-387.

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, lambda, p. 95

Ed.

W.F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig: Weigel, 1820

Quotation

λάλλαι· αἱ ψῆφοι αἱ παραθαλάσσιαι. ἐκ τοῦ λαλῶ γίνεται ῥηματικὸν ὄνομα λάλη, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ λ λάλλη. λάλλαι δέ εἰσιν αἱ ψῆφοι αἱ παραθαλάσσιαι, αἱ ὑπὸ τῶν κυμάτων κινούμεναι καὶ ψόφον τινὰ ἀποτελοῦσαι. οὕτως ὁ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ βιβλίῳ.

Translation (En)

Lallai "pebbles": the little stones of the seashore. From the verbe lalō "to talk" is derived the substantive lalē "talk", and, by adjunction of the l, lallē "pebble". Lallai are the little stones of the seashore that are moved by the waves and produce some sound. That is what the same author says in the same book.

Comment

The substantive λάλη is less frequent than its equivalent λαλία, and here is used for the needs of the demonstration that Philoxenus is making about the etymology λάλλαι, "pebbles". This derivation is correct.

Parallels

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 555, l. 49 (Λάλλαι: Ἐκ τοῦ λαλῶ γίνεται ῥηματικὸν ὄνομα λάλη, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ λ, λάλλη. Λάλλαι δέ εἰσιν αἱ ψῆφοι αἱ παραθαλάσσιαι, αἱ ὑπὸ τῶν κυμάτων κινούμεναι καὶ ψόφον τινὰ ἀποτελοῦσαι)

Modern etymology

The ancient etymology is correct.

Persistence in Modern Greek

No, but members of this family are still present: λαλώ, "to sing", λάλημα, "song".

Entry By

Margelidon