κέρας

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No

Last modification

Wed, 08/24/2022 - 11:55

Word-form

κείρασθαι

Transliteration (Word)

keirō

English translation (word)

to cut, to shave

Transliteration (Etymon)

keras

English translation (etymon)

horn

Author

Plutarch

Century

1-2 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

De sollertia animalism 976f6-7

Ed.

C. Hubert, Plutarchi moralia, vol. 6.1, Leipzig: Teubner, 1954 (repr. 1959)

Quotation

κέρας’ γὰρ τὴν τρίχα λέγεσθαι καὶ τὸ κείρασθαι διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν κουράν·

Translation (En)

Because they call the hair keras, and from it come keirasthai "to cut one's hair" and koura "cutting of the hair"

Comment

Derivational etymology, reversible (see κέρας / κείρω). From the formal point of view it is likely that the starting point is the future κερῶ, which provides the sequence [ker], rather than the present κείρω. It was customary for Greek grammarians to start from the future (especially in Philoxenus' theory)

Parallels

There is no direct parallel

Modern etymology

Κείρω belongs to an inherited root *(s)ker- "to cut", with cognates in Arm. k͑erem "to shave", OHG sceran "to shave", Ved. kr̥ntáti "to separate" (Beekes, EDG)

Entry By

Le Feuvre