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Ancient and Medieval Greek Etymologies

ἀλαλάζω

Word

ἀλαλάζω

Validation

No

Last modification

Thu, 08/05/2021 - 14:03

Word-form

ἀλαλάζειν

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ

Transliteration (Word)

alalazō

English translation (word)

to cry, to shout aloud

Transliteration (Etymon)

lalō

English translation (etymon)

to talk, to chat

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

Fragment 427*

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. 23

Ed.

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

Quotation

ἀλαλάζειν· ἐκ τοῦ λαλῶ λαλήσω <λαλάζω> καὶ ἀλαλάζω, ὡς τὸ σιγῶ σιγάζω.

Translation (En)

Alalazein "to cry": from lalō "to talk", <future> lalēsō, lalazō and alalazō "to cry", as sigō, sigazō.

Comment

Philoxenus derives here the verb ἀλαλάζω from the other verb λαλῶ, on the grounds of the parallel with σιγῶ, "to be quiet" / σιγάζω "to quiet", as he is used to propose analogical arguments. Choeroboscus, who comments also on this etymology, signals that the initial ἀ- has an intensive meaning. The Et. Parvum derives it from the etymon of λαλέω, monosyllabic verb *λῶ "to talk", from which is derived *λάζω (homonymous with λάζομαι "to seize"), and then ἀλαλάζω

Parallels

Etym. Parvum, alpha 15 (Ἀλαλάζω· παρὰ τὸ λῶ τὸ λαλῶ· οὗ παράγωγον λάζω καὶ κατὰ ἀναδιπλασιασμὸν λαλάζω καὶ μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ Α ἀλαλάζω); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 137 (άλαλάζω, παρὰ τὸ λῶ, τὸ λαλῶ, λαλάζω, καὶ ἀλαλάζω μετὰ τοῦ ἐπιτατικοῦ Α, ἢ ἐκ τοῦ ΑΛΑ ὃ σημαίνει τὸν θόρυβον); Etym. Gudianum, alpha. p.79 (Ἀλαλάξω· ἔστι ῥῆμα λαλῶ, οὗ παράγωγον λαλάζω καὶ μετὰ τοῦ ἐπιτατικοῦ α ἀλαλάζω); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 79 (Ἀλαλάζω· ὁ μέλλων ἀλαλάξω· γέγονε δὲ παρὰ τὸ λαλεῖν λαλαγή καὶ ἀλαλάζω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὸ <Ps. 99, 1> „ἀλαλάξατε“, τουτέστιν ὑμνήσατε τὸν θεόν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 55 (Καὶ ἀλαλάζειν, τὸ ἐν μάχαις λέγειν. Παρὰ τὸ λῶ τὸ λαλῶ· οὗ παράγωγον λάζω, καὶ διπλασιασμῷ λαλάζω, καὶ ἀλαλάζω)

Modern etymology

Denominative verb from ἀλαλά, military interjection

Persistence in Modern Greek

Αλαλάζω is still used in Modern Greek to designate 'to let out a scream', mostly of joy or excitment. Words "αλαλαγμός" and "αλαλητό" are also used today in the sense of 'non comprehensible cries of joy/excitement'.