γῆ + νεῦσις

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Last modification

Sun, 07/30/2023 - 13:40

Word-form

γένεσιν

Transliteration (Word)

genesis

English translation (word)

birth, origin

Transliteration (Etymon)

gē + neusis

English translation (etymon)

earth + nodding

Author

Plutarch

Century

1-2 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

De sera numinis vindicta 566a8-9

Ed.

M. Pohlenz, Plutarchi moralia, vol. 3, Leipzig: Teubner, 1929 (repr. 1972)

Quotation

[…] πρὸς γένεσιν, ἣν οὕτως ὠνομάσθαι, νεῦσιν ἐπὶ γῆν οὖσαν ὑγρότητι βαρυνομένης τῆς ψυχῆς

Translation (En)

[…] to birth (genesin), which has been thus called, being an incline toward the earth (neusin epi gēn), since the soul is heavier because of the moisture

Comment

Compositional etymology, probably coming from the Stoic school. The birth is the coming down of the soul as it it becomes tied to a physical body living on earth. Therefore it is an "incline toward the earth". This etymology requires two formal manipulations: the shortening of η to ε, and the change of the diphthong ευ into ε. It is opposed to the etymology of θάνατος as "ascent" (see θάνατος / άναθέω)

Parallels

Plutarch, fr. 177 (ap. Stobaeus, Anthologium 4.52b (ὅρα δὲ τὸ ἀντικείμενον θανάτῳ, τὴν γένεσιν, ὡς τοὐναντίον δηλοῖ ῥοπήν τινα κάτω καὶ νεῦσιν ἐπὶ γῆν ἐκείνου τοῦ περὶ τὴν τελευτὴν πάλιν ἀναθέοντος); Anonymi De astrologia dialogus, p. 15-16 (καὶ γῆρας τοῦτο τοῦ χρόνου καλῶς ὠνόμασται, ῥεῦσις οἷον πρὸς γῆν, ὥσπερ ἡ γένεσις τὴν ἀρχήν. ἡ δὲ παντελὴς αὐτοῦ ἔκλειψις καὶ θάνατος γίνεται οὐκέτι μὲν νεῦσις εἰς γῆν ἀλλ’ ἄνοδος, ὃ δὴ σημαίνει καὶ τοὔνομα); Eustathius, Comm. Il., vol. 1, p. 167 (ἐπεὶ τῶν τις σοφῶν καὶ θανεῖν εἶναι λέγει τὸ θέειν ἄνω, οὗ ἀνάπαλιν γένεσιν τὴν εἰς γῆν νεῦσιν); idem, Oratio 17.20 (ὁ ἐκ γενέσεως ἄνθρωπος, ταὐτὸν δὲ εἰπεῖν, ἐκ τῆς εἰς γῆν νεύσεως, καθά τις πάλαι πεφιλοσόφηκεν)

Modern etymology

Derivative of te root of γίγνομαι, ἐγενόμην. PIE genh1-- "to be born", found in all IE languages (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has γένεση "origin, birth"

Entry By

Le Feuvre