μή + νύσσω
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
μήνιγγος
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
mēninx
English translation (word)
membrane
Transliteration (Etymon)
mē + nussō
English translation (etymon)
not + to prick, to stab
Century
11 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etymologica nominum 183
Ed.
R. Reitzenstein, M. Terentius Varro und Johannes Mauropus von Euchaita: eine Studie zur Geschichte der Sprachwissenschaft, Leipzig: Teubner, 1901
Quotation
Μήνιγγος… ἣν μὴ σὺ νύξῃς, ἀλλὰ φεῖσαι τοῦ τόπου
Translation (En)
The membrane (mēningos)… which you must not prick (mē nuxēis), but you must spare this place
Parallels
There is no parallel
Modern etymology
Μῆνιγξ is cognate with Lat. membrana "membrane", Rus. mezdra "inner side of a hide", and ultimately with the PIE word for "meat", *mēms-o- found in Greek μηρός "thigh" (Beekes, EDG, notwithstanding his doubts).
Persistence in Modern Greek
MG has μήνιγγα (from the old accusative) designating each of the three membranes covering the brain and μηνίγγι, 'the part of the face between the eye and the upper ear'. See also the derivatives μηνιγγικός, μηνιγγίτιδα "meningitis" (Triandafyllidis, DMG)
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
This may be a wordplay rather than an etymology: Mauropus gave the usual etymology of μῆνιγξ, by μένω, two lines above. However, this would be gratuitous in the poem and several etymologies of this type are known (see μέλας / μή + λάω, μήτηρ / μή + τηρέω, μήνη / μή + μένω). Therefore it may be considered a real etymology, although it is not attested anywhere else. Formally, it relies on iotacism. The final ξ of μήνιγξ has its source in the aorist ἔνυξα, while the nasal is left unaccounted for