ἀμάω + ζώνη

Validation

Yes

Word-form

Ἀμαζών

Transliteration (Word)

Amazōn

English translation (word)

Amazon

Transliteration (Etymon)

amaō + zōnē

English translation (etymon)

to harvest + belt

Author

Themistagoras

Source

Epimerismi homerici

Ref.

Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 333

Ed.

A.R. Dyck, Epimerismi Homerici: Pars altera. Lexicon αἱμωδεῖν [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 5.2. Berlin - New York: De Gruyter, 1995]: 59-761.

Quotation

Θεμισταγόρας δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ χρυσῇ βίβλῳ φησὶν (FHG IV, 512, fr. 3) ὅτι "αἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀλόπην τὴν νῦν καλουμένην Λυκίαν τὴν πρὸς τῇ Ἐφέσῳ γυναῖκες μιᾷ συμβουλῇ τὰ συνήθη ταῖς γυναιξὶν ἔργα ἀπαρνησάμεναι καὶ ζώναις χρησάμεναι καὶ ὁπλισμοῖς τὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν πάντα ἐπετήδευον. πρὸς δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ ἤμων σὺν αὑτῶν ταῖς ζώναις, ὅ ἐστιν ἐθέριζον. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Ἀμαζόνας κεκλῆσθαι τὰς σὺν ταῖς ζώναις ἀμώσας

Translation (En)

Themistagoras says in the golden book that "women of the region of Alope (which is now called Lycia), which is near Ephesus, by a common decision, rejecting the usual works of women and using belts and arms did everything that men do; in particular they harvested (ēmōn, glossed etherizon) with their belts (zōnais). For that reason were called Amazons those women who harvested with their belts on."

Comment

The word is analyzed as a compound of "belt" and "to harvest", in a typical euhemerist attempt to provide a not entirely unbelievable explanation for this mythological name, which would have its roots in a historical event involving men.

Parallels

There are no parallels, this explanation is given here only.

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