σεύω + κίω
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Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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Quotation
καὶ ἐκ τοῦ σύεσθαι, ἤγουν ὁρμᾶν, καὶ τοῦ κίειν ἡ συκῆ· [ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν δὲ κατὰ τοὺς παλαιοὺς καὶ ὁ σικυός κατὰ μετάθεσιν ἢ τροπὴν διχρόνων
Translation (En)
And the name of the fig (sukê) comes from suesthai "to rush", and kiein "to go". And the ancients say that sikuos "cucumber" comes from the same words, through metathesis or through two successive changes
Parallels
Idem, Comm. Od. 2, 148 Stallbaum (εἰ γὰρ ὥς περ ἡ συκῆ παρὰ τὸ σύειν καὶ κίειν, ὅ πέρ ἐστιν ὁρμᾶσθαι, οὕτω κατὰ τοὺς παλαιοὺς καὶ ὁ σικυὸς ἐτράπη καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτοῦ τὸ υ εἰς ἰῶτα, διὰ τὸ ἀσυνέμπτωτον, ἵνα μὴ καὶ τῷ σικυῷ σύκου ἐμφαίνηταί τι); ibid., 2, 326 (ὡς δὲ συκῆ ἐκ τοῦ σύειν καὶ κίειν γίνεται ὡς ὁρμητικὴ, δῆλον ἐκ τῶν παλαιῶν); Etym. Genuinum, Vat. gr. 1818, f.268v, l. 18 (Συκῆ: Παρὰ τὸ σεύω, τὸ ὁρμῶ· ὁρμητικὴ γάρ) = Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 733 (Συκῆ: Παρὰ τὸ σεύω, τὸ ὁρμῶ· ὁρμητικὴ γάρ ἐστι); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, sigma, p. 1685 (Συκῆ. τὸ δένδρον. παρὰ τὸ σύω, τὸ ὁρμῶ, [ἢ τὸ σεύω, τὸ ὁρμῶ.] [probably the second etymon, κίω, is missing, and this is not a different etymology); Scholia in Aristophanem (recentiora), Plut. 660c (καὶ ἐκ τοῦ “σύεσθαι”—ἤγουν ὁρμᾶν—καὶ ἐκ τοῦ “κίειν” ἡ “συκῆ”)
Comment
Compositional etymology retaining, as usual, the first syllable or consonant of each assumed member, [su] from the zero grade of σεύομαι (Hom. aorist σύτο), and [k] from κίω. This etymology from two verbs implying motion can hardly have been designed for the tree, but rather applies to the fruit, to which energetic properties were ascribed. The interesting point is that the same combination of the same two etymons is supposed to yield the name of the cucumber, through a metathesis (see σικυός / σεύω + κίω). Eustathius in Comm. Od. 2, 148, assumes the name of the cucumber, σικυός, then underwent formal changes (a metathesis or two successive changes) in order to prevent a confusion with the fig.