κάρηνον
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
κρήνη
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
krēnē
English translation (word)
spring (water)
Transliteration (Etymon)
karēnon
English translation (etymon)
head
Century
10 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Suda, kappa 2393
Ed.
A. Adler, Suidae Lexicon, Leipzig: Teubner, 1928-1935
Quotation
Κρήνη: ἡ πηγή. κάρα, καρήνη, κρήνη. κορυφὴ γὰρ τοῦ ῥεύματος ἢ κόρη τοῦ νάματος· καὶ γὰρ θυγατέρας αὐτάς φασι.
Translation (En)
Krēnē "spring": kara "head", karēnē "head", krēnē. Because it is the head of the flow or the daughter of the river: because they are said to be their daughters.
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 345-346 (Κρήνη, παρὰ τὸ ῥέω ῥένη, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ ε εἰς η, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ κ κρήνη· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ κάραν καὶ κορυφὴν εἶναι τοῦ ῥεύματος, καὶ κόρη νάματος· καὶ γὰρ αἱ κρῆναι θυγατέρες τῶν ποταμῶν εἰσι)
Modern etymology
Within Greek, probably related to κρουνός "spring". PIE *kr̥sneh2- (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
MG still has κρήνη as a learned word
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
The word is etymologized as a syncopated form of κάρηνον "head", itself derived from κάρα "head". From the neuter plural κάρηνα a feminine *καρήνη is derived, which is the direct etymon of κρήνη. The spring is the head of the river.