δέρω

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Yes

Last modification

Wed, 12/29/2021 - 18:45

Word-form

δειρή

Transliteration (Word)

deirē

English translation (word)

throat

Transliteration (Etymon)

derō

English translation (etymon)

to skin

Author

Apollonius Soph.

Century

1 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Lexicon homericum p. 56

Ed.

I. Bekker, Apollonii Sophistae lexicon Homericum, Berlin: Reimer, 1833

Quotation

δειρή ὁ τράχηλος. κέκληται δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν τετραπόδων, διὰ τὸ ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν μερῶν ἄρχεσθαι δείρεσθαι

Translation (En)

Deirē "throat". It is thus called from the animals, because they are skinned (deiresthai) starting from that part.

Comment

Derivational etymology starting from the present stem δέρω. It was straightforward for Attic, where "throat" is δέρη, less so for Ionic which has δειρή, but the etymology designed for Attic was transposed onto Ionic. The etymology implies that δειρή properly refers to animals' throat and that the use for human beings results from an extension.

Parallels

Herodian, Peri pathôn, Lentz IIi/2, p. 303 (ἐκ τοῦ δέρω δέρη καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ι δειρή· οἱ μέντοι Αἰολεῖς δέρρα λέγουσι καὶ κατὰ μετασχηματισμὸν δέρρις); idem, De orthographia, Lentz III/2, p. 490 (δειρά: τὸ σημαῖνον τὸν τράχηλον διὰ τῆς ει διφθόγγου. δέρρα γὰρ λέγουσιν οἱ Αἰολεῖς); Choeroboscus, De orthographia (epitome), p. 194 (Δειρά: Τὸ σημαῖνον τὸν τράχηλον διὰ τῆς ει διφθόγγου· δέῤῥα γὰρ λέγουσιν οἱ Αἰολεῖς· ὥσπερ τὸ κείρω κέῤῥω λέγουσιν, οὕτως καὶ δέῤῥω); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, delta 46 (δειρή (Γ 371): ἐκ τοῦ δέρω δέρη καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ι δειρή. κυρίως <καὶ> ἀπὸ μεταφορᾶς· κατὰ τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ μέρος πρῶτον ἄρχονται ἐκδέρεσθαι τὰ ζῶα· ἀπὸ δὲ τούτου μετῆλθεν ἐπὶ τῶν {λοιπῶν} ἀνθρώπων. οἱ μέντοι Αἰολεῖς δέρρη λέγουσι καὶ κατὰ παρασχηματισμὸν δέρρις· σημαίνει δὲ τὴν τεταμένην βύρσαν); Etym. Gudianum, delta, p. 341 (idem); ibid., p. 341 (Δείρω· ἀπὸ τοῦ δερῶ μέλλοντος γέγονεν); Joannes Mauropus, Etymologica nominum 206 (δείρη δ’, ὅθεν δέρουσιν ἃ σφάττειν θέμις); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 257 (δέρη· Ὅπερ καὶ δειρὰ καλεῖται· καὶ ἐκ τούτου δειροτομῆσαι. Κυρίως δὲ δέρη καὶ δειρὰ καλεῖται ἐπὶ τῶν τετραπόδων, ὁ τῶν ἀλόγων ζῴων τράχηλος, διὰ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἐκδέρεσθαι· καταχρηστικῶς δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ ἀνθρώπων. Ἔστι δὲ παράγωγον παρὰ τὸ δέρω, δέρα, καὶ δέρη Ἰωνικῶς, καὶ δειρή· ἢ κατὰ πλεονασμὸν τοῦ δ, εἰρά τις οὖσα, παρὰ τὸ εἴρειν, τὸ λέγειν, ἡ φωνητική· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ῥέειν τὴν ἐδωδήν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ τὰ χορηγούμενα δεῖν, ἤγουν δεσμεῖν) ; ibid., p. 256 (Δέρω: Σημαίνει δύο· τὸ ἐκδέρω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ δειρὴ, ὁ τράχηλος· τὸ τύπτω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὸ ἐδάρην); Etym. Symeonis, delta 102 (Δειρά· ὁ τράχηλος· ἐκ τοῦ δείρω, τὸ ἐκδέρω· δερά καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ι δειρά. Κυρίως ἐπὶ τῶν τετραπόδων διὰ τὸ ἐκεῖθεν ἐκδέρεσθαι); ibid., delta 134 (Δέρη· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ δειρὰ καλεῖται καὶ ἐκ τούτου δειροτομῆσαι, κυρίως δὲ δέρη καὶ δειρὰ καλεῖται, ὁ τῶν ἀλόγων ζῴων τράχηλος. Παρὰ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἐκδέρεσθαι· παρὰ τὸ δέρω δέρα καὶ δέρη, ἰωνικῶς καὶ δειρή)

Modern etymology

Traditionally connected with Ved. grīvā́- "neck", Ru. griva, but this poses formal problems (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre