ἅλς2
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
θάλασσα
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
thalassa
English translation (word)
sea
Transliteration (Etymon)
hals
English translation (etymon)
sea
Century
5 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etymologicum, theta, p. 71
Ed.
F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820
Quotation
Θάλασσα. παρὰ τὸν σάλον, σάλασσα, καὶ μεταθέσει τοῦ σ εἰς θ, θάλασσα· ἢ παρὰ τὴν αλ<ος> γενικὴν, ἄλασσα, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ θ, θάλασσα.
Translation (En)
Thalassa "sea". From salos "tossing motion", *salassa, and by change of [s] into [th], thalassa. Or from the genitive hal<os> "of the sea", *halassa, and with addition of [th], thalassa
Parallels
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)
Modern etymology
Unknown, probably a loanword (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
Yes
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Derivational etymology deriving the longer name from a shorter synonym. It starts from an inflected case form, in that case the genitive. Semantically, the etymology is straightforward since the lemma and the etymon are synonymous