ἄκρος
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
Ἀκρίς· ἡ μεγαλοκέφαλος, παρὰ τὸ ἄγαν <κα>ραν εἶναι· οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὸ τοὺς ἄκρους στάχυας [νε]νέμεσθαι. [NB: Orion has ἄγαν ἄκραν, which does not match with the explanation μεγαλοκέφαλος]
Translation (En)
Akris "grasshopper": the big-head, from the fact it is a very (agan) <large> head (karan). But others say it is because it eats the top (akrous) of the ears (of wheat)
Parallels
Etym. Parvum, alpha 6 (Ἀκρίς· παρὰ τὰς ἄκρας τῶν σταχύων ἐσθίειν); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 73 (Ἄκρις· βαρυτόνως τὸ ἀκρωτήριον, παρωνύμως παρὰ τὸ ἄκρα ἄκρις. ὀξυτόνως δὲ τὸ ζῶον, παρὰ τὸ τὰς ἄκρας τῶν ἀσταχύων νέμεσθαι, ἢ παρὰ τὸ τὰ ἄκρα τῶν ἀσταχύων ἐσθίειν, ἢ παρὰ τὸ κάρα κάρις καὶ ἐν ὑπερβιβασμῷ τοῦ α ἀκρίς οἱονεὶ ... μεγάλην κεφαλὴν ἔχουσα); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 73 ( ⸢Ἀκρίς· σημαίνει δὲ⸣ τὴν ἀκ⟦ρίδα⟧· παρὰ τὸ τὰς ἄκ⟦ρας τῶν ἀσταχύων ἐσθίειν⟧); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 52 (Ἀκρίς: Ὀξυτόνως τὸ ζῷον. Παρὰ τὸ κάρη καρίς· καὶ μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α, ἀκαρίς· καὶ συγκοπῇ ἀκρὶς, ἡ κάραν μὴ ἔχουσα, ἡ μικροκέφαλος. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ μεγάλην κεφαλὴν ἔχειν· διάφορα γὰρ τὰ γένη τῶν ζῴων. Ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἄκραν. Οἱ δὲ, παρὰ τὸ τὰς ἄκρας τῶν ἀσταχύων καὶ τῶν φυτῶν νέμεσθαι); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 106 (Ἀκρίς. παρὰ τὸ κάρη καρὶς, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α ἀκαρίς. οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὸ τὰ ἄκρα τῶν ἀσταχύων καὶ φυτῶν νέμεσθαι); Lexicon αἱμωδεῖν, alpha 99 (ἀκρ̣ί̣ς̣: παρὰ τὸ τὰ ἄκρα τῶν ἀσταχύων ἐσθίειν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ κάρα καρίς καὶ ἐν ὑπερβιβασμῷ τοῦ α ἀκρίς, οἱονεὶ ἡ μεγάλην κεφαλὴν ἔχουσα); Scholia in Nicandrum, Ther. 802 (αἵτινές, φησιν, ἤγουν αἱ ἀκρίδες, ἐπὶ τῶν ἄκρων ἀθέρων τοῦ σίτου ἱπτάμεναι τὸν λέπυρον, ἤτοι λεπυριζόμενον στάχυν βόσκονται); Scholia in Theocritum 5.34c (vetera) (ἀκρίδες λέγονται τὰ πωλία τὰ καθήμενα εἰς τὰ ἄκρα τῶν δένδρων καταχρηστικῶς· κυρίως γὰρ αὐτὰ τὰ ἄκρα τῶν δένδρων).
From κατ᾽ ἄκρας: Arethas, Commentarius in Apocalypsin, MPG 106, 621: Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἀκρίδες ὄνομα, οὐκ ἔξω τοῦ κατ’ ἄκρας τὰς τιμωρίας ἐπαχθῆναι πρὸς δήλωσιν παρελήφθη.
Comment
This is the most commonly found etymology for ἀκρίς, and it is correct by modern standards. It derives the word either from ἄκρος "high" or from ἄκρα (ἡ) "highest point. However, several interpretations coexist. The first one, found in Orion, is that the locust eats the ears of wheat, therefore the top of the plant. In another one, the animal sits on the top of the branches (Scholia in Theocritus, see Parallels). A variant of this etymology is found in Arethas who provides yet another interpretation and say the locusts are a plague related to the fact that the punishment is enacted fully, lit. κατ᾽ἄκρας "from top to bottom"