τιτθός

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Last modification

Tue, 02/28/2023 - 15:52

Word-form

τιθήνη

Transliteration (Word)

tithēnē

English translation (word)

nurse

Transliteration (Etymon)

titthos

English translation (etymon)

breast

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. 23

Edition

C. Theodoridis, Die Fragmente des Grammatikers Philoxenos [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 2. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1976

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, tau, p. 152

Ed.

F.W. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig: Weigel, 1820 (repr. Hildesheim: Olms, 1973): 1-172

Quotation

Tιθήνη· παρὰ τὸν τιτθόν, ὃ σημαίνει τὸν μαστόν, γίνεται τιτθήνη καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ἑνὸς τ τιθήνη. οὕτω Φιλόξενος ἐν τῷ Περὶ μονοσυλλάβων ῥημάτων. [...] ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ παρὰ τὸ θῶ τὸ δηλοῦν τὸ τρέφω, ὁ μέλλων θήσω, ὄνομα ῥηματικὸν θήνη καὶ διπλασιασμῷ τιθήνη.

Translation (En)

Tithēnē "nurse": from titthon, which means "breast", are formed *titthēnē and tithēnē by dropping a /t/. That is what Philoxenus says in the On monosyllabic verbs. The same [Philoxenus] also says that from *thō which means "to feed", one derives the future thēsō, the verbal noun *thēnē and by reduplication tithēnē.

Other translation(s)

Tithēnē « nourrice » : de titthos, qui signifie « mamelle », on dérive *titthēnē, et tithēnē par chute du /t/. Voilà ce qu’écrit Philoxène dans le Des verbes monosyllabiques. Le même [Philoxène] dit aussi que de *thō, qui signifie « nourrir », on tire le futur thēsō, le nom déverbal *thēnē et par redoublement tithēnē.

Comment

Derivational etymology starting from a reduplicated form τιτθός, from the root of θήσασθαι. This derivation implies one formal change, the elimination of the geminate consonant ("dropping of /t/"). The two etymologies mentioned by Orion, both attributed to Philoxenus, imply the same etymon, the monosyllabic verb *θῶ "to breast-feed", and differ by the derivational path they assume.

Parallels

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 758 (Τιθήνας: Τροφούς. Παρὰ τὸν τιτθὸν (ὃ σημαίνει τὸν μαστὸν) γίνεται τιτθήνη· καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ τ, τιθήνη); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, tau, p. 1731 (Τιθήνας. τροφούς. [ἡ εὐθεῖα ἡ τιθήνη. παρὰ τὸν τιτθὸν, ὃ σημαίνει τὸν μαστὸν, γίνεται τιτθήνη, καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ἑνὸς τ τιθήνη)

Modern etymology

Reduplicated derivative of the root θη- found in θῆσαι "to breast-feed", θῆλυς "female". PIE *dheh1-(i)-, cognate with Lat. fēmina "female", fēcundus "fertile", etc. (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Eva Ferrer