ἀ- + μένω

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Thu, 08/25/2022 - 15:25

Word-form

ἀμείνων

Transliteration (Word)

ameinōn

English translation (word)

better

Transliteration (Etymon)

a- + menō

English translation (etymon)

not + to remain

Author

Herodian

Century

2 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Peri orthographias, III/2, p. 474

Ed.

A. Lentz, Grammatici graeci vol. 3/2, Leipzig, 1870

Quotation

ἀμείνων: […] παρὰ τὸ μένω γέγονεν ἀμένων καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ι
 ἀμείνων ὁ μὴ μένων, ἀλλ’ ὑπὸ πάντων αἰρόμενος.

Translation (En)

ameinōn "better": from menō "I remain" came *amenōn and through the addition of [i] ameinōn, the one who does not remain (mē menōn), but is praised by everyone.

Comment

The comparative is analyzed as a compound of menō "to remain" with the privative prefix ἀ-. The semantic justification is forced. It is likely that αἰρόμενος "praised" is a mistake for αἱρούμενος "taken, seized, chosen" which is found in other sources (see Parallels, Choeroboscus), and which makes more sense as opposed to μένω.

Parallels

Choeroboscus, De orthographia, p. 176 (ὁ μὴ μένων, ἀλλ’ ὑπὸ πάντων περιάρπαστος γενόμενος δι’ ἐξοχήν); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 637 (παρὰ τὸ μένω γέγονεν ἀμένων καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ι ἀμείνων, τουτέστιν ὁ μὴ μένων, ἀλλ’ ὑπὸ πάντων αἰρόμενος· τὸν γὰρ κρείττονα πάντες αἴρουσιν)

Modern etymology

Unclear. Within Greek, the word is isolated

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre