ἀ- + μᾶζα
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
Ἀμαζών
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
Amazōn
English translation (word)
Amazon
Transliteration (Etymon)
a- + māza
English translation (etymon)
not + barley-cake
Century
5 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etymologicum alpha p. 611
Ed.
F.W. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, 1820
Quotation
ἀμαζὼν ἡ μὴ μάζαις χρωμένη· ἀλλὰ κρέασιν· ἢ ὅτι τὴν μίαν θηλὴν τὴν δεξιὰν ἐνέκαιον· ἵνα μὴ ἐμποδίζωνται τοξεύουσαι
Translation (En)
Amazon is the one who does not feed on barley-cake (mazais) but on meat; or because they used to burn out one single breast, the right one, not to be impeded from shooting with their bows.
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum Additamenta alpha p. 104 (Ἀμαζών· παρὰ ‹τὸ› μάζῃ μὴ χρῆσθαι μήτε ἡμέρῳ τροφῇ, ἀλλὰ σαύραις καὶ ὄφεσιν “because they don't use barley-cake or any other civilized food, but lizards and snakes"); Scholia in Aeschylum, Prom. 723e (ὅτι μάζαις καὶ ἄρτοις οὐκ ἐχρῶντο "because they did not eat barley-cake and bread").
Modern etymology
Unclear.
Persistence in Modern Greek
The Modern Greek form is "Αμαζόνα", used to denote the member of the mythical female tribe, or a woman with such characteristics (who loves battles, rides horses, does not compromise; Triandafyllidis Dictionary of Modern Greek).
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
The name is analyzed as a privative compound, the second element of which, māza "barley-cake", refers to the diet of the mythical Amazons. As the more common etymology by "without breast", it refers to the wild character of these female warriors. The Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha p. 104, adds that in comedy Ἀμαζόνες was used for πένητες "poor", those who don't have barley-cake (māza), which implies that this etymology must have been known early enough (Amazones was the title of several lost comedies from the 5th and 4th c. BC).