ἔχθος

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Last modification

Tue, 10/18/2022 - 21:30

Word-form

ἐχθρός

Transliteration (Word)

ekhthros

English translation (word)

enemy

Transliteration (Etymon)

ekhthos

English translation (etymon)

hatred

Author

Herodian

Century

2 AD

Reference

Peri orthographias, Lentz IIi/2, p. 409

Edition

A. Lentz, Grammatici graeci III/2, Leipzig 1870

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, epsilon, p. 57

Ed.

F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820

Quotation

ἐχθρός: παρὰ τὸ ἔχθος ἐχθηρὸς καὶ συγκοπῇ ἐχθρός ἢ ὡς κῦδος κυδρός. οἱ δὲ διὰ τοῦ κ γράφοντές φασιν εἶναι ἐκθρός ὁ ἔξω τεθορηκώς, εἴγε σύμβασις ἡ φιλία. οὕτω φησὶν Ἡρωδιανὸς ἐν τῇ ὀρθογραφίᾳ, διὰ δὲ τοῦ χ γράφει.

Translation (En)

Ekhthros "enemy": from ekhthos "hatred", *ekhthēros and by syncope ekhtēros, or as kudos "glory", kudros "glorious". But others, spelling it with <k>, say ekthros is the one who leapt out, since sumbasis "truce" means "friendship". This is what Herodian says in the Peri orthographias, and he spells it with <kh>

Comment

Derivational etymology deriving the adjective from the noun. The suffix is assumed to be -ηρος, followed by a syncope. The parallel of κῦδος, κυδρός reflects the use of analogy in Herodian's etymology.

Parallels

Herodian, Partitiones, p. 39 (ἔχθος, τὸ μῖσος, ὅθεν καὶ ἐχθρὸς, καὶ ἐχθραίνω); Theodosius, Peri grammatikēs, p. 65 (τὸ ἐχθρός διὰ τοῦ ΧΘ γραπτέον· ὥσπερ γὰρ παρὰ τὸ ψῦχος γίνεται ψυχρός, οὕτω καὶ παρὰ τὸ ἔχθος γίνεται ἐχθρός); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 102 (Παρὰ τὸ ἐχθραίνω, τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ἐχθρὸς, τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ἔχθος, τὸ μῖσος, τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ἔχω τὸ κρατῶ); Scholia in Hesiodum, Op. 257a (vetera) (ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ κῦδος γίνεται κυδρὸς καὶ κυδρὴ ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔχθος ἐχθρός)

Modern etymology

Ἐχθρός is derived from ἐξ "out of", the enemy being the foreigner. Cognate in Lat. extrā "outside" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has εχθρός "enemy", and έχθρα "hatred", as learned words

Entry By

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