πέτομαι + ῥᾴδιος
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
περιστερά
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
peristera
English translation (word)
dove
Transliteration (Etymon)
petomai + rhaidios
English translation (etymon)
to fly + easy
Century
11 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etym. Gudianum, pi., p. 462
Ed.
F. Sturz, Etymologicum Graecae linguae Gudianum et alia grammaticorum scripta e codicibus manuscriptis nunc primum edita, Leipzig: Weigel, 1818
Quotation
Περιστερὰ, ἢ διὰ τὸ πέτεσθαι στεῤῥῶς, ἢ διὰ τὸ πέτεσθαι ῥᾷον· ἢ διὰ τὸ περιστατικὸν τοῦ ἐρᾶσθαι· ἢ αἴρεσθαι τὰ νοσσία ἑαυτῆς.
Translation (En)
Peristera "dove". Because it flies (petesthai) stiffly (sterrôs), or because it flies (petesthai) easily (rhaion). Or because it depends on circumstances (peristatikon) whether it loves or loses its own nestlings
Parallels
There is no parallel
Modern etymology
Maybe from *πελιστερά, belonging with πέλεια "dove", πελιός "blue" (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
MG still has περιστερά (learned), next to the neuter περιστέρι "dove", and περιστέρα as the name of the female dove and to address a beloved woman
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Compositional etymology referring to the flight of the bird. The second element is identified as the comparative of ῥᾴδιος "easy".