ἕρκος
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
χρόνον δὲ καὶ Ὀρφεὺς τὸ πρῶτον ἐκάλει· ὁ δὲ ὅρκον μὲν τὸ πρῶτον ὡς ἕρκος καὶ φρουρὰν τῶν ἄλλων
Translation (En)
Orpheus called the primary element "time" ; and he (Pythagoras) <called> the primary element "oath" (horkos), meant as a fence (herkos) and guard of the others
Parallels
Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 192 (ὅρκος. παρὰ τὸ ἕρκος, καὶ τειχίον εἶναι τῷ ὀμνύοντι πρὸς τὸ μὴ παραβαίνειν τὰς συνθήκας); Eustathius, Comm. Il. 1, 355 Van der Valk (Γίνεται δὲ ὁ ὅρκος ὅθεν καὶ τὸ ἕρκος· ἐκ τοῦ εἵργω γάρ, τὸ ἐγκλείω· καθείργνυται γάρ πως ὁ ὀμνύων, οἷς ὁμολογεῖ· Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς παλαιοὺς παρὰ τὸ ὅρος ἀρσενικόν. ὁρίζονται γάρ τι ὁμολογητικῶς οἱ ὀμνύοντες. συντελεῖ δὲ εἰς τὴν πρώτην ἐτυμολογίαν καὶ ἡ ὁρκάνη ἕρκος τι οὖσα, ὡς ἀκανθῶδες περίφραγμα); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 631 (Ὅρκος: Ἐκ τοῦ ὅρος· οἱ γὰρ ὀμνύοντες ὁρίζονται καὶ ὀμνύουσιν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀρκῶ, τὸ βοηθῶ· ὥσπερ γὰρ βοηθήματι αὐτῷ ἐχρῶντο οἱ ἀδικούμενοι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ εἴργω· ἐπισχετικὸν γάρ ἐστι τῶν παραβῆναι βουλομένων· παρὰ οὖν τὸ εἴργειν καὶ κωλύειν τοῦ παραβαίνειν, ὅργος· καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ γ εἰς κ, ὅρκος. Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ὅρκου γίνεται ὅρκιος. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἕρκος καὶ τειχίον εἶναι τῷ ὀμνύοντι, μὴ παραβῆναι τὰς συνθήκας); Tzetzes, Exegesis in Homeri Iliadem 1.233, 58 (ὅρκος παρὰ τὸ ἕρκος καὶ περίφραγμα εἶναι καὶ βεβαίωσις)
Comment
The etymology is implicit but clear. Ὅρκος "oath" is derived from ἕρκος "fence" by a simple change of [o] into [e]. The fact that ἕρκος is a neuter and ὅρκος a masculine was not an objection for Greek etymologists who worked with the nominative singular without taking into account the inflectional type, and of course was not an objection either for Ancient Greek philosophers. Anyway, it could rely on a pair like γένος (neuter) / γόνος (masculine). From the semantic point of view, the oath is conceived as a wall or fence which the swearing man cannot break. The etymology is attributed to the Pythagorean school, which means it is much older than Syrianus. Eustathius does not derive it directly from ἕρκος but derives both ἕρκος and ὅρκος from εἴργω (see Parallels).