θάνατος + ἆσσον
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Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
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Ed.
Quotation
θάλασσα: παρὰ τὸ θάνατά τις οὖσα, τροπῇ τοῦ ν εἰς λ, ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἆσσον εἶναι θανάτου
Translation (En)
Thalassa "sea". Because it brings death (*thanata), with change of [n] into [l], or because <those sailing on it> are closer to death (asson einai thanatou)
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum, theta, p. 253 (Θάλασσα, παρὰ τὸ σάλον σάλασσα καὶ θάλασσα. παρὰ τὸ ἆσσον εἶναι θανάτου, τοὺς πλέοντας ἐν αὐτῇ); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 441 (Θάλασσα: Παρὰ τὸν σάλον, σάλασσα καὶ θάλασσα, μεταθέσει τοῦ σ εἰς θ, ὡς ὀρχησμὸς, ὀρχηθμός. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἆσσον εἶναι θανάτου γίνεται θάνασσα, καὶ θάλασσα. Ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἁλὸς γενικὴν, ἅλασσα· καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ θ, θάλασσα. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ τείνω, ἐκ τοῦ ἐπιτεταμένην ἔχειν τὴν ὁδόν); Schol. Oppianum, Hal. 1.9 (θάλασσα παρὰ τὸ σάλον ἐμποιεῖν, ἢ παρὰ τὸ θᾶσσον εἶναι θανάτου θάνασσα καὶ θάλασσα); Joannes Mauropus, Etymologica nominum 64 (θάλασσα […] ἄγει δὲ <τοὺς> πλέοντας ἐγγὺς θανάτου); Tzetzes, Exegesis in Homeri Iliadem 1.34 (θαλάσσης· οἱ μὲν ἐτυμολόγοι πάντες παρὰ τὸ ἆσσον εἶναι θανάτου τοῖς πλέουσιν εἶπον· ἐγὼ δέ, παρὰ τὸ ἐν ταῖς ἄσαις, ἤγουν βλάβαις, θάλλειν)
Comment
Compositional etymology in which the word is assumed to come from the syntagm ἆσσον θανάτου. The etymology does not pay attention to the fact that the [a] is long in ἆσσον, but short in θάλασσα, because it was designed at a time when vowel quantity was no longer phonological.