ἄνειμι

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Fri, 06/04/2021 - 14:54

Word-form

αἷμα

Transliteration (Word)

haima

English translation (word)

blood

Transliteration (Etymon)

aneimi

English translation (etymon)

to go up

Author

Etym. Gudianum

Century

11 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 45

Ed.

E.L. de Stefani, Etymologicum Gudianum, fasc. 1 & 2, Leipzig: Teubner, 1:1909; 2:1920

Quotation

Αἷμα· παρὰ τὸ ἀναδίδοσθαι, αἷμα ἄϊμα

Translation (En)

"Haima "blood" : from the fact that it gushes forth, haima, from a-ima"

Comment

The explanation through ἀναδιδόσθαι "to gush forth" implies that the given etymon, a-ima (ἄϊμα) is analyzed as the verbal noun *ἴμα "way" of εἴμι "to go", and the initial a- as a form of ἀνα- expressing an upward move. As a matter of fact, ἀνα- has a variant ἀν- (from the elision of ἀνα- before vowel in Ionic-Attic, but found also before consonant in other dialects, and most notably in Homer): and as the negative prefix has two variants, ἀ- and ἀν-, so next to ἀν- "up" was invented a variant ἀ-. Therefore ἄϊμα is supposed to mean "that which goes upwards". The model may be lines like Od. 18.97 αὐτίκα δ’ ἦλθεν ἀνὰ στόμα φοίνιον αἷμα, Il. 11.458 αἷμα δέ οἱ σπασθέντος ἀνέσσυτο

Parallels

There is no known parallel to this explanation

Modern etymology

Αἷμα has no established etymology. See Beekes, EDG for the different proposed explanations.

Persistence in Modern Greek

Αίμα is still used in MG to denote 1. 'blood', 2. family relation in phrases as "ίδιο αίμα" 3. phrases expressing struggle as "χύθηκε αίμα", 3. phrases like "σιγά τα αίματα" (for a non intense fight).

Entry By

Le Feuvre