θάνατος
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
θάλασσα
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
thalassa
English translation (word)
sea
Transliteration (Etymon)
thanatos
English translation (etymon)
death
Century
9 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Epimerismi homerici In Iliadem 1.157b
Ed.
A. Dyck, Epimerismi Homerici, pars prior epimerismos continens qui ad Iliadis librum Α pertinent [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 5.1. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1983]
Quotation
θάλασσα: παρὰ τὸ θάνατά τις οὖσα, τροπῇ τοῦ ν εἰς λ, ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἆσσον εἶναι θανάτου
Translation (En)
Thalassa "sea". Because it is deadly (*thanata), by change of the [n] into [l]. Or because <those who sail> are closer to death.
Parallels
There is no parallel
Modern etymology
Unknown, probably a loanword (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
Yes
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Derivational etymology. From θάνατος "death" a fanciful feminine *θανάτα is derived, which then is assumed as etymon of θάλασσα. It is a shorter version of the compositional etymology mentioned afterwards by θάνατος + ἆσσον