γωνία

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Fri, 05/05/2023 - 13:30

Word-form

γόνυ

Transliteration (Word)

gonu

English translation (word)

knee

Transliteration (Etymon)

gōnia

English translation (etymon)

angle, corner

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, gamma, p. 39

Ed.

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

Quotation

Γόνυ, ὅτι κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ γναμπτόμενον τὸ σκέλος ὥσπερ γωνίαν ἀποτελεῖ

Translation (En)

Gonu "knee", because when it folds onto itself, the leg makes like an angle (gōnian)

Comment

Derivational descriptive etymology: the assumed etymon, γωνία "angle" describes the shape, not of the body part itself, but of the larger body part to which it belongs, the leg. The [ŏ] is assumed to arise through shortening of the [ō] of γωνία (this is implicit, but relies on well-known cases like δίδωμι ~ δίδομεν). The etymology is reversible: γωνία is usually derived from γόνυ (see γωνία / γόνυ).

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, gamma, p. 320 (idem); Orion, Etymologicum (excepta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), gamma, p. 613 (γόνυ, ὅτ<ι> καπτόμενον τὸ σκέλος γωνίαν ἀποτελεῖ); Meletius, De natura hominis, p. 129 (Τὸ δὲ γόνυ ἐκ τοῦ κονεῖν καὶ ἐνεργεῖν ἐτυμολογήθη· ἐξ οὗ καὶ κόνατα, ἢ γόνατα· ἢ ὅτι τὸ σκέλος καμπτόμενον ὥσπερ γωνίαν ἀποτελεῖ· ἰγνὺς δὲ τὸ ὑποκάτω τοῦ γόνατος καλεῖται); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 238 (Γόνυ: Παρὰ τὸ κονῶ, τὸ ἐνεργῶ, κόνυ καὶ γόνυ· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ὡς γωνίαν ἀποτελεῖν ἐν τῷ κάμπτεσθαι τὸ σκέλος. Ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ καὶ παρὰ τὸ εἰς γῆν νεύειν. Κλίνεται γόνυος· καὶ ἐν ὑπερθέσει, γουνός. Καὶ γόνατα, κόνατά τινα ὄντα, τροπῇ τοῦ κ εἰς γ· παρὰ τὸ κονεῖν, ὅ ἐστιν ἐνεργεῖν. Γόνατα, γόνυα, καὶ γοῦνα· καὶ γούνων, ἀπὸ τῶν γονάτων, ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν γονύων); Etym. Symeonis, gamma 140 (Γόνυ· παρὰ τὸ κονῶ, τὸ ἐνεργῶ· ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ παρὰ τὸ εἰς γῆν νεύειν. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐν τῷ κάμπτεσθαι γωνίαν ἀποτελεῖν); Scholia in Batrachomyomachiam 3 (γόνυ ἐτυμολογεῖται ἀπὸ τοῦ κονῶ τὸ ἐνεργῶ κόνυ καὶ γόνυ· τρέπεται γὰρ τὸ κ εἰς τὸ οἰκεῖον μέσον τὸ γ. ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ εἰς γῆν νεύειν ἢ ἐν τῷ κάμπτεσθαι γωνίαν ἀποτελεῖν)

Modern etymology

Inherited name o the knee, PIE *gon-u-, having cognates in all IE languages (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG has γόνατο, a singulative derived from the plural γόνατα. Γονυ- still exists in learned compounds

Entry By

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