φρήν

Validation

No

Last modification

Sun, 12/18/2022 - 11:00

Word-form

ἄφρων

Transliteration (Word)

aphrōn

English translation (word)

insane

Transliteration (Etymon)

phrēn

English translation (etymon)

mind

Author

Apollonius Dyscolus

Century

1 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

De adverbiis p. 137

Ed.

R. Schneider, G. Uhlig, Apollonii Dyscoli quae supersunt (Grammatici graeci I/1), Leipzig, Teubner 1878

Quotation


τὸ φρήν πάλιν συντιθέμενον τὸ η εἰς τὸ ω μεταβάλλει, φρήν ἄφρων, σώφρων. 

Translation (En)

Phrēn "mind", in composition, changes its ē into ō: phrēn, aphrōn "insane", sōphrōn "wise"

Comment

Derivational etymology relying on the correct observation that the compound displays the o grade while the simple has the e grade. However, most Greek grammarians derived ἄφρων not from φρήν, but from a ghost form *φρών directly derived from the verb *φρῶ, itself a ghost form assumed as the etymon of φρήν (see φρήν / προΐημι)

Parallels

Herodian, Peri kliseōs onomatōn, Lentz III/2, p. 734 (τὰ παρὰ τὸ φρήν φρενός γινόμενα τρέπει τὸ ω εἰς τὸ ο ἐν τῇ γενικῇ οἷον ἄφρων ἄφρονος, σώφρων σώφρονος).

Derivation from *φρών: Philoxenus, fr. 194 (Etym. Genuine B) (φρόνιμος· φρῶ ἐστι ῥῆμα, ὅπερ ἀπὸ τοῦ προϊῶ γέγονε πρῶ καὶ φρῶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν καὶ τροπήν. φρῶ οὖν ῥῆμα, ἀφ’ οὗ ὄνομα φρὼν καὶ σύνθετον σώφρων καὶ εὔφρων καὶ ἄφρων δέ· οὗ παράγωγον φραίνω καὶ εὐφραίνω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὸ φρήν. τὸ οὖν φρὼν ὄνομα γενικὴν ἔχει φρονός, οὗ παράγωγον φρόνιμος καὶ ἡ φρόνις παρ’ Ὁμήρῳ (δ 258)· „κατὰ δὲ φρόνιν ἤγαγε πολλήν“); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 123 (ἄφρων, παρὰ τὸ φρῶ, προΐω, γίνεται φρῶν, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ Α ἄφρων); Etym. Parvum, alpha 1 (Ἄφρων· παρὰ τὸ φρῶ, τὸ προϊῶ, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ Α ἄφρων); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 247 (Ἐπιμερισμῶν τοῦ Ψαλτηρίου. παρὰ τὸ φρῶ, τὸ προϊῶ, μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 178 (Παρὰ τὸ φρῶ, τὸ προϊῶ, μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α, ἄφρων); ibid., p. 800 (ὁ δὲ Ὦρος, ἐκ τῆς φρὼν φρονὸς γενικῆς γίνεται φρόνις· καὶ ἡ αἰτιατικὴ, φρόνιν. Τὸ δὲ φρὼν γίνεται ἐκ τοῦ φρῶ· ὅθεν ἄφρων καὶ σώφρων. Ἡ γενικὴ, φρονός· οὗ παράγωγον, φρόνιμος· καὶ τὸ φρονῶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ)

Modern etymology

Compound of φρήν

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has άφρων as a learned word

Entry By

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