νέω

Validation

No

Last modification

Thu, 04/06/2023 - 19:46

Word-form

νῆσος

Transliteration (Word)

nēsōs

English translation (word)

island

Transliteration (Etymon)

neō

English translation (etymon)

to swim

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. *152

Edition

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

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, nu, p. 109

Ed.

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

Quotation

Nῆσος· παρὰ τὸ νῶ, οὗ μέλλων νήσω, δηλοῦν τὸ νήχομαι· πᾶν γὰρ μέρος ἔχει ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ὥσπερ ἀεὶ τῶν σωμάτων τὰ νηχόμενα.

Translation (En)

Nēsos "island": from , the future of which is nēsō, and it means "to swim"; because every part is on the sea, like body parts always swimming.

Other translation(s)

Nēsos « île » : de , dont le futur est nēsō, et qui signifie « nager » ; car toutes ses parties sont sur la mer, comme les parties du corps qui nagent toujours.

Comment

Derivational etymology relying on the analogy of a human body in the water. The derivation base is the future.

Parallels

Lexicon αἱμωδεῖν, nu 2 (νήσαντες (Agath. 1,10,6): σωρεύσαντες· [...] νῶ δέ, τὸ κολυμβῶ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ νῆσος καὶ ναῦς, ἡ πᾶν μέρος ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ ἔχουσα, ὥσπερ τὰ νηχόμενα σώματα); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, vol. 3, p. 157 (ΝΗ̃ΣΟΣ παρὰ τὸ νῶ τὸ κολυμβῶ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ νησάριον.); ibid. p. 170 (ΝΗ̃ΣΟΣ, παρὰ τὸ νῶ τὸ κολυμβῶ); Epimerismi Homerici Il. 1.12,b (νῆας: παρὰ τὸ νῶ, τὸ κολυμβῶ, Ps Os ἐξ οὗ παρήχθη καὶ νῆσος καὶ ναύτης καὶ νᾶμα καὶ νῆτρον. Os); Suda, nu 343 (Νῆσος. ἐκ τοῦ νῶ, νήσω· ἡ οἷον ἐγκολυμβῶσα ὕδατι); ibid., nu 527 (Νῶ: ῥῆμα. οὗ αἱ κινήσεις χρησταί. [...] νῶ, τὸ κολυμβῶ· ἐξ οὗ καὶ ναῦς καὶ νῆσσα καὶ νῆσος, ἡ πᾶν μέρος αὐτῆς ἐν ὑγρῷ ἔχουσα); Etym. Gudianum, nu, p. 409 (Νῆσος, παρὰ τὸ νῶ, οὗ ὁ μέλλων νήσω τὸ νήχομαι· πᾶν γὰρ μέρος ἔχει ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ὥσπερ ἀεὶ τῶν σωμάτων τὰ νηχόμενα· ἢ τῶν ναμάτων ἕως, ἤγουν τῶν ὑδάτων τῆς θαλάσσης); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 605 (Νήσαντες: Σωρεύσαντες· [...]· καὶ νῶ νήσω, τὸ κολυμβῶ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ νῆσος, καὶ ναῦς, ἡ πᾶν μέρος ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ ἔχουσα, ὥσπερ τὰ νηχόμενα σώματα); ibid., p. 605 (Νῆσος: Ἀπὸ τοῦ νῶ νήσω, τὸ κολυμβῶ· νῆσος δέ ἐστι γῆ περιτετειχισμένη ὑπὸ θαλάσσης, πάντοθεν ἔχουσα ἐν ἑαυτῇ πόλεις πολλὰς ἢ καὶ ὀλίγας); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, nu, p. 1399 (Νῆσος. παρὰ τὸ νῶ, τὸ κολυμβῶ. ὁ μέλλων νήσω. ἐξ αὐτοῦ γέγονε νῆσος)

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has νήσος as a learned word

Entry By

Eva Ferrer