ἄνω + αἴρω
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
ἀνήρ
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
anēr
English translation (word)
man
Transliteration (Etymon)
anō + airō
English translation (etymon)
upward + to lift
Century
11 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etymologica nominum 137
Ed.
R. Reitzenstein, M. Terentius Varro und Johannes Mauropus von Euchaita: eine Studie zur Geschichte der Sprachwissenschaft, Leipzig: Teubner, 1901
Quotation
ἄνω μὲν ἦρται πᾶς ἀνήρ, ἄρχων φύσει,
Translation (En)
Every man (anēr) is lifted (ērtai) upwards (anō), and by nature has authority
Parallels
There is no parallel
Modern etymology
PIE name of the "man", also found in Vedic nara- "man", Lat. Nerō, PIE *h2ner- (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
MG has the Mediaeval form "άντρας" (Kriaras Dictionary of Medieaval Vernacular Greek, vol. 1), from the old accusative ἄνδρα). The stems ανδρ- and αντρ- are preserved in many compounds, such as "ανδροκρατία", "αντρογυναίκα" etc.
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
The word is parsed as a compound of ἄνω + αἴρω (not as a derivative of ἀναίρω "to remove"). This etymology explains the noun ἀνήρ as the one who is above the woman (γυνή, whose etymology follows immediately), "by nature having authority". The starting point is the passive perfect ἦρμαι, which provides the [ēr] not found in the present αἴρω