κείρω

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Wed, 08/24/2022 - 09:55

Word-form

κέρας

Transliteration (Word)

keras

English translation (word)

horn

Transliteration (Etymon)

keirō

English translation (etymon)

to cut, to shave

Author

Herodian

Century

2 AD

Source

Eustathius of Thessalonica

Ref.

Comm. Od. 1, 250

Ed.

G. Stallbaum, Eustathii archiepiscopi Thessalonicensis commentarii ad Homeri Odysseam, 2 vols. in 1, Leipzig: Weigel, 1:1825; 2:1826 (repr. Hildesheim: Olms, 1970)

Quotation

Ἡρῳδιανὸς μέντοι ἄλλως αὐτὸ σχηματίζων, φησὶν ὅτι τοῦ ἄλειφα καὶ λίπα ἡ κατάληξις, οὐκ ἀήθης. ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ἄλειφα, ὥσπερ θ<εί>νω θέναρ καὶ κείρω κέρας, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸ ἐκ τοῦ ἀλείφω, ἄλειφαρ ἢ ἄλειφας  [Eustathius has θένω, which is a ghost-form, but the parallels make it clear that the intended etymon is θείνω "to strike"]

Translation (En)

But Herodian derives it differently: he says that the loss of the final consonant in aleipha "unguent" and lipa "fatly" is not uncommon, but that aleipha, as theinō "to strike" thénar "palm of the hand" and keirō "to cut" keras "hair", similarly comes itself from aleiphō "to anoint", aleiphar and aleiphas

Comment

Derivational etymology accounting for the secondary meaning of κέρας "hair" and not for the proper meaning "horn". Hair must be cut. The etymology is not listed in Lentz. This etymology is reversible, see Plutarchus, Mor. 976f7 who has the reverse etymology deriving κείρω from κέρας

Parallels

Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 126 (Κέρας σημαίνει τὴν τρίχα, καὶ γίνεται παρὰ τὸ κείρω τὸ κόπτω· καὶ Ὅμηρος ‘κέρα ἀγλαέ’. καὶ τὴν δόξαν, καὶ γίνεται παρὰ τὸ ἐρῶ τὸ ἐπιθυμῶ, ἔρας καὶ γέρας· τῆς γὰρ δόξης πάντες ἐπιθυμοῦμεν); Etym. Parvum, mu 27 (Μονοκερώτων· ἔστι κείρω τὸ κουρεύω. ἐξ αὐτοῦ κέρας ἡ γενικὴ κέρατος); Ibid., kappa 7 (Κάρα· παρὰ τὸ κέρα, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν τρίχα· ἡ οὖσα τετριχωμένη· τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ τὸ κείρω, τὸ κόπτω); Etym. Gudianum, mu, p. 397 (Μονοκερώτων, ἐκ τοῦ μόνος καὶ τοῦ κείρω, τὸ κόπτω, γίνεται κέρας καὶ κλίνεται κέρατος ); Ibid., kappa, p. 315 (Κέρας, σημαίνει διάφορα· τὴν τρίχα παρὰ τὸ τοῖς κέρασιν ὁμοίως ἐμφύεσθαι, καὶ γίνεται παρὰ τὸ κείρω τὸ κόπτω· σημαίνει δὲ καὶ τὴν δόξαν, καὶ γίνεται παρὰ τὸ ἐρῶ, τὸ ἐπιθυμῶ, ἔρας καὶ κέρας· τὴν γὰρ δόξαν πάντες ἐπιθυμοῦσιν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 504 (Κέρας: Ἡ θρὶξ, διὰ τὸ τοῖς κέρασιν ὁμοίως ἐκφύεσθαι· οἱ δέ φασιν, ὅτι ἡ ἐκ τοῦ βάθους ἰκμὰς ὑπὸ τῆς θερμασίας ἀναφερομένη, κἄπειτα τῇ τοῦ δέρματος τάσει σφιγχθεῖσα, κερατοῦται· ἢ ἡ συνεχῶς κειρομένη); Ibid., p. 505 (Σημαίνει καὶ τὴν τρίχα, καὶ γίνεται παρὰ τὸ κείρω, τὸ κόπτω, ὡς τὸ, ‘Τοξότα λωβητὴρ κέρα ἀγλαέ’ (Il. 11.385)); Geneva Schol. Il. 11.385 (τὸ δὲ «κέρᾳ ἀγλαέ», ἢ τῇ τριχὶ, παρὰ τὸ κείρεσθαι, ἢ τῷ τόξῳ σεμνύμενε); Scholia in Batrachomyomachiam 165 (κέρας σημαίνει τέσσαρα· τὸ τοῦ ζώου· τὴν δόξαν, ὡς ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς „καὶ ὑψώσει κέρας λαοῦ αὐτοῦ“· τὸ τοῦ θυσι[αστηρίου]· καὶ τὴν τρίχα, παρὰ τὸ κείρω τὸ κόπτω)

Modern etymology

Κέρας belongs with κάρα, both are derived from a PIE *kerh2-s- meaning "head" (Beekes)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG has κέρας as a learned word, the usual word is κέρατο

Entry By

Le Feuvre