ἀΐσσω

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Thu, 10/12/2023 - 12:25

Word-form

ἀκτίς

Transliteration (Word)

aktis

English translation (word)

ray

Transliteration (Etymon)

aïssō

English translation (etymon)

to leap, to spring

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, alpha, p. 22

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ἀκτίς, παρὰ τὸ ἀΐσσω, ἀΐξω, ἀκτός. καὶ παρώνυμον ἀκτίς. ἡ ἀΐσσουσα πανταχόθεν

Translation (En)

Aktis "ray": from aïssō "to leap", <future> aïxō, <verbal adjective" *aktos and derivative aktis. The one leaping from everywhere

Comment

Derivational etymology implying an active meaning, the ray being the "springing" one, even though the derivation seems to start from the (passive) verbal adjective, which provides the sequence [kt]. It implies a formal manipulation, the loss of [I].

Parallels

Etym. Genuinum B, alpha 386 (Ἀκτίς· παρὰ τὸ ἄγω ἄξω ἦχα ἦγμαι γέγονεν ἀκτίς, οἱονεὶ ἡ πανταχοῦ φερομένη· ἡ γὰρ ἀκτὶς τοῦ ἡλίου πανταχοῦ φέρεται. ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐκτείνω γέγονεν ἐκτίς καὶ ἀκτίς· ἡ γὰρ ἀκτὶς τοῦ ἡλίου πάνυ ἐστὶν ἐκτεταμένη. † καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀΐσσω, τοῦ σημαίνοντος τὸ ὁρμῶ, ὁ μέλλων ἀΐξω ἤϊχα ἤϊγμαι ἤϊκται ἀκτίς· ἡ γὰρ ἀκτὶς τοῦ ἡλίου ὁρμητική ἐστιν); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 76-77 (<Ἀκτίς>· ⸤δεῖ γινώσκειν, ὅτι τὸ ἀκτίς ἐτυμολογεῖτ⸥αι διαφόρως· ἢ γὰρ παρὰ ⟦τὸ⟧ ἄγω γίνεται ἀκτίς, ἡ πανταχοῦ ἀγομένη, ἡ ⟦γὰρ⟧ ἀκτὶς τοῦ ἡλίου πανταχοῦ φέρεται· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ⸤ἐκτείνω ἐκτίς καὶ ἀκτίς, παν⸥ταχοῦ γὰρ ἐφήπλωται· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀΐ<σ>σω, τὸ ὁρμῶ, ἡ γὰρ τοῦ ἡλίου λαμπηδὼν ὁρμητική ἐστιν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 54 (Ἀκτὶς τοῦ ἡλίου: Παρὰ τὸ ἄγω τὸ φέρω, ἄξω, ἦχα, ἦγμαι, γέγονεν ἀκτὶς, οἱονεὶ ἡ πανταχοῦ φερομένη· πάνυ γάρ ἐστιν ἐκτεταμένη. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀΐσσω, ἀΐξω, ἤϊχα, ἤϊγμαι, ἤϊκται, ἀκτίς· ὁρμητικὴ γάρ ἐστιν, ἐπειδὴ ὅπου εὕρῃ ὀπὴν εἰσέρχεται); Etym. Symenonis, vol. 1, p. 246 (ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀΐσσω, τοῦ σημαίνοντος τὸ ὁρμῶ, ὁ μέλλων ἀΐξω ἤϊχα ἤϊγμαι <ἤϊξαι> ἤϊκται <καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ> ἀκτίς, ἡ οὖσα ὁρμητική); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 107 (Ἀκτίς. παρὰ τὸ ἄγω, ἄξω, ἦχα, ἦχμαι γέγονεν ἀκτίς· οἱονεὶ ἡ πανταχοῦ φερομένη καὶ συστρεφομένη. ἡ γὰρ ἀκτὶς τοῦ ἡλίου πάνυ ἐστὶν ἐκτεταμένη. ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀΐσσω, ἀΐξω, ἤϊχα, ἤϊγμαι, ἤϊκται, ἀκτὶς, ἡ οὖσα ὁρμητική)

Bibliography

The word is probably an old word meaning "sharp, acute", from an older adjective "provided with a point". It has a cognate in Welsh, meaning "broom" (the plant). The derivation base is found in Baltic and Slavic. See Claire Le Feuvre, Homer from Z to A. Metrics, Linguistics and Zenodotus. Leiden, Brill, 2022, pp. 202 sqq

Modern etymology

Probably belonging with ἀκ- "sharp, pointed", of which many derivatives are found in Greek. See the details above (Bibliography)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has ακτίνα "ray, radius, spoke"

Entry By

Le Feuvre