*γῶ

Validation

No

Last modification

Sat, 03/25/2023 - 21:01

Word-form

κενός

Transliteration (Word)

kenos

English translation (word)

empty

Transliteration (Etymon)

*gō

English translation (etymon)

to give room [=χωρῶ]

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. *111

Edition

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

Source

[Etymologicum Genuinum AB]

Ref.

fr. *111

Ed.

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

Quotation

Kενός· ... ἢ παρὰ τὸ γῶ, τὸ χωρῶ, γενὸς καὶ κενός, ὁ χωρῆσαι δυνάμενός τι διὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν.

Translation (En)

Kenos "empty": ...or from *g, "to contain", *genos and kenos, that which is able to contain something because it holds nothing.

Other translation(s)

Kenos « vide » : ...ou bien à partir de *g, « contenir », *genos et kenos, ce qui peut contenir quelque chose parce qu’il n’a rien.

Comment

Derivational etymology implying one formal change, from [g] to [k]. The semantic aspect is interesting, as it converts the negation into a possibility: what contains nothing can contain something.

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 314 (Κενὸς, [...] ἢ παρὰ τὸ γῶ τὸ χωρῶ γενὸς καὶ κενὸς, ὁ χωρῆσαι δυνάμενός τι, διὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 503 (Κενός : [...] Ἢ παρὰ τὸ γῶ, τὸ χωρῶ, γενὸς καὶ κενὸς, ὁ χωρῆσαι δυνάμενος τὶ διὰ τὸ μηδὲν ἔχειν)

Modern etymology

Older *κενϝός, from a root *ken- "empty", cognate with Arm. sin, snoy "empty" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Yes

Entry By

Eva Ferrer