περισσός + ἐράω
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English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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Quotation
Ἀπολλόδωρός φησιν ἐν τῷ Περὶ θεῶν (244 fg 114 J.), ὅτι ἡ περιστερὰ ἱερὰ Ἀφροδίτης διὰ τὸ λάγνον· παρὰ γὰρ τὸ περισσῶς ἐρᾶν λέγεται.
Translation (En)
Apollodorus says in his On gods that the dove is sacred to Aphrodite because it is lustful. As a matter of fact, it is so names because it loves (erân) exceedingly (perissôs)
Parallels
Orion, Etymologicum (excepta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), pi, p. 616 (περιστερὰ, ἡ περισσῶς ἐρῶσα τοῦ θήλεος); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p.150 (περιστερά. παρὰ τὸ περισσῶς ἐρᾶν, ἢ παρὰ τὸ στερρῶς πέτεσθαι); Etym. Gudianum, pi, p. 462 (Περιστερὰ, ἢ διὰ τὸ πέτεσθαι στεῤῥῶς, ἢ διὰ τὸ πέτεσθαι ῥᾷον· ἢ διὰ τὸ περιστατικὸν τοῦ ἐρᾶσθαι· ἢ αἴρεσθαι τὰ νοσσία ἑαυτῆς); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 664 (Περιστερά: Παρὰ τὸ πέτεσθαι στερρῶς· ἢ παρὰ τὸ περισσῶς ἐρᾶν· θερμόταται γὰρ κατὰ συνουσίαν εἰσί· διὸ καὶ τῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ ἀνάκεινται· καὶ πολλάκις τίκτουσιν ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ, τῶν ἄλλων ὀρνέων μὴ ποιούντων τοῦτο); Scholia in Aeschylum, Sept. 294a (scholia vetera) (πάντροφον καλεῖ τὴν πελειάδα ὅτι πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἅπαξ τίκτει τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ, αὕτη δὲ ἀεί· διὸ καὶ περιστερὰ λέγεται ὡς περισσὰ ἐρῶσα πλεονάζοντος τοῦ τ κατὰ τὸ μέσον, ὅθεν καὶ τῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ ἀνάκειται); ibid., 294c (πάντροφος ἡ διηνεκῶς τρέφουσα τὰ τέκνα, ἐπειδὴ πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ τίκτει, ἡ δὲ περιστερὰ ἀεί· διὸ καὶ ἀνάκειται τῇ Ἀφροδίτῃ. περιστερὰ δὲ γίνεται παρὰ τὸ περισσῶς ἐρᾶν).
The etymology may be alluded to by Zonaras, Homilia in Hypapantem 9 (ἡ δὲ περιστερά, ζῶον πολύτοκον γνωρίζεται. )
Comment
Compositional etymology seeking to account for the association of the bird with the goddess of love by a specific behavior of the bird in the field of competence of the goddess, which is supposed to explain its name.