ταναός

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Last modification

Fri, 07/21/2023 - 13:15

Word-form

θάνατος

Transliteration (Word)

thanatos

English translation (word)

death

Transliteration (Etymon)

tanaos

English translation (etymon)

outstretched

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, theta, p. 72

Ed.

F.W. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, 1820

Quotation

Θάνατος. τάνατός τις ἐστί. παρὰ τὸ τείνειν τὸ σώμα τῇ ψύξει· ἢ ὅτι ταναός ἐστιν· ἐπὶ πάντας διατείνων ἑαυτόν. ἢ περισσὸν τὸ θ. ἄνατος. ἄνευ γὰρ ἄτης ἐστὶν ὁ ἀποθανών.

Translation (En)

Thanatosdeath”: it is a form of *tanatos, because it stretches [teinein] the body by freezing it. Or of tanaos “outstretched”, because it extends [diateinōn] to everyone. Or the /th/ is superfluous, because a dead person is without [aneu] bane [atēs].

Other translation(s)

Thanatos « mort » : c’est une forme de *tanatos, parce qu’elle étire [teinein] le corps en le refroidissant. Ou de tanaos « étendu », parce qu’elle s’étend [diateinō] à tous. Ou bien le /th/ est superflu, parce qu’une personne morte est sans [aneu] fléau [atēs].

Comment

Derivational etymology, clearly seeking a close formal match. From this point of view, the epic adjective ταναός is closer than the verb τείνω with which it belongs. The notion of "to extend" is not understood literally, but as a reference to the fact that the process applies to every living being, although ταναός never has this meaning. That is, the etymology combines the form of the adjective ταναός with the meaning of the verb δια-τείνω. Then two changes are requires, insertion of a /t/ and change of the initial /t/ into /th/

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, theta, p. 254 (Θάνατος, παρὰ τὸ τάνατος, τείνει γὰρ τὸ σῶμα τῇ ψύξει. ἢ διὰ τὸ θανάσιμον, ἢ ταναρός τις ἐστιν, ὡς ἐπὶ πάντας διατείνων); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 442 (Θάνατος: Παρὰ τὸ τείνω, τὸ τανύω, τάνατος καὶ θάνατος, ὁ τείνων τὸ σῶμα τῇ ψύξει· ἢ ὅτι ταναός ἐστιν, ὁ ἐπὶ πάντας ἑαυτὸν διατείνων)

Modern etymology

The etymology of θάνατος is disputed. It implies a root *dhenh2- "to flee, to depart" with cognates in Indo-Iranian (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has θάνατος "death"

Entry By

Eva Ferrer