φάος + νόος

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Sun, 10/23/2022 - 14:20

Word-form

φωνή

Transliteration (Word)

phōnē

English translation (word)

voice

Transliteration (Etymon)

phaos + noos

English translation (etymon)

light + mind

Author

Theodosius

Century

4-5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Peri grammatikēs p. 16

Ed.

K. Göttling, Theodosii Alexandrini grammatica, Leipzig: Libraria Dykiana, 1822

Quotation

Εἴρηται δὲ φωνὴ διὰ τὸ εἶναι φῶς νοῦ, ἤγουν ἡ τὰ ἐν τῷ νῷ φωτίζουσα· τὰ γὰρ ἐνδιάθετα καὶ κεκρυμμένα τοῦ νοῦ, φανερὰ ἡμῖν ἡ φωνὴ ἐμποιεῖ, καὶ τὰ νοήματα λαμπρῶς δείκνυσιν

Translation (En)

Phōnē "voice" is so named because it is the light of the mind (phôs noû), that is the one illuminating what is in the mind. Because voice makes visible to us what is inside the mind, hidden, and clearly shows the thoughts

Comment

Compositional etymology of a functional type: the function of the voice is to bring to light what is hidden in the mind. It starts from the contracted form φῶς, usual in koine, and from the second member νοῦς only the initial consonant [n] is kept.

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum, phi, p. 160 (Φωνή. ἡ φωτίζουσα τῷ λόγῳ τὰ τοῦ νοῦ); Elias, In Porphyrii isagogen p. 37 (κοινωνοῦμεν δὲ ἀλλήλοις διὰ φωνῶν, ὅθεν καὶ φωνὴ εἴρηται ὡς εἰς φῶς ἄγουσα τὰ τοῦ νοῦ γεννήματα); Joannes Damascenus, Quaestiones et responsiones, l. 98 Hannick - Wolfram (Φωνὴ δὲ ἐτυμολογεῖται διὰ τὸ φῶς εἶναι νοός· ἃ γὰρ ὁ νοῦς γεννήσει, ταῦτα εἰς φῶς ἐξάγει); Theognostus, Canones sive De orthographia 538 (Φωνὴ παρὰ τὸ φῶς καὶ νοῦς· ἡ τὰ ἐν τῷ νῷ φωτίζουσα); Pseudo-Choeroboscus, Peri tropôn poietikôn, p. 249 (ἐπεὶ καὶ φῶς νοῦ ἐτυμολογεῖται ἡ φωνή); Joannes Mauropus, Etymologica nominum 178 (φωνὴ δὲ φῶς νοῦ τοῦ τέως κεκρυμμένου); Etym. Gudianum, phi, p. 560 (Φωνὴ, φῶς νοῦ ἐτυμολογεῖται ἡ φωνὴ, τὰ γὰρ κρυφιὰ τοῦ νοὸς διὰ τῆς φωνῆς ἐκφαίνονται); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 803 (Φωνή: Παρὰ τὸ φῶς καὶ τὸν νοῦν, ἡ τὰ ἐν τῷ νῷ φωτίζουσα· ἢ τὸ τοῦ νοὸς φῶς· παρὰ τὸ φάος εἶναι τοῦ νοός· διὰ γὰρ τῆς φωνῆς τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐνθυμήματα γινώσκομεν· φαονή τις οὖσα, καὶ φωνή)

Modern etymology

Derived from the root of φημί "I say", φάσις "fame", PIE *bheh2- "speak" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Yes

Entry By

Le Feuvre