ἀείρω

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No

Last modification

Mon, 07/31/2023 - 11:30

Word-form

ἆορ

Transliteration (Word)

aor

English translation (word)

sword

Transliteration (Etymon)

aeirō

English translation (etymon)

to raise, to lift / to bind

Author

Quintus of Smyrna

Century

3 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Posthomerica 13.403

Ed.

F. Vian, Quintus de Smyrne. La suite d'Homère, 3 vols., Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1:1963; 2:1966; 3:1969

Quotation

Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧς θοὸν ἆορ ἀπὸ χθονὸς αὖτις ἀείρας 

Translation (En)

Nevertheless, picking up again his quick sword from the earth

Comment

The etymology is implicit in Quintus of Smyrna but may be considered certain. It was the standard explanation in Antiquity. It is a derivational etymology deriving ἄορ "sword" from ἀείρω "to lift", relying on the familiar alternation ε ~ ο. The word means "the suspended one" because it is hanging from the baldric. However, there are two verbs ἀείρω, one meaning "to lift" and the other one "to bind". Authors relating ἄορ to "to bind" explain it by the same fact that it is attached to the baldric.

Parallels

1. Etymologies by "to lift:: Nonnus, Dion. 33.197 (οὐ δόρυ θοῦρον ἔχων, οὐ φοίνιον ἆορ ἀείρων); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 954 (Ἄορ· τὸ ξίφος· παρὰ τὸ ἀείρω ἄορ· καὶ ἀορτήρ Λ 31, τὸ ἀπῃωρημένον. ἢ παρὰ τὸ αἴρω ἀρτήρ, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ο ἀορτήρ. ἢ ἐν ᾧ τὸ ξίφος κρέμαται, ἱμάς Λ 30–31· ‘αὐτὰρ περὶ κουλεὸν ἦεν | ἀργύρεον χρυσέοισιν ἀορτήρεσσιν ἀρηρός’); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 157 (Ἄορ· τὸ ξίφος· παρὰ τὸ ἀείρω ἄορ); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 116 (Ἄορ: Παρὰ τὸ ἀείρω, ἄορ, τὸ ξίφος, ὅπλον, δόρυ); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 232 (Ἄορ. τὸ ξίφος. παρὰ τὸ ἀείρω ἄορ); Lexicon αἱμωδεῖν, alpha 74 (ἄορ: τὸ ξίφος· παρὰ τὸ ἀείρω ἄορ).

2. Etymologies by "to bind": Eustathius, Comm. Il., vol. 2, p. 128 (Ἔστι ῥῆμα ἀείρω τὸ ὁμοῦ εἴρω καὶ συζευγνύω, ὡς τὸ «σὺν δ’ ἤειρεν», ἤγουν συνέζευξε, συνέδησεν. Ἐξ αὐτοῦ ῥηματικὸν ὄνομα ἄορ ἡ συνεζευγμένη καὶ ὁμοῦ οὖσα τῷ ἀνδρὶ γυνή. διὰ δὲ τὴν πρὸς τὸ ξίφος συνέμπτωσιν μετατεθὲν τὸ ἄορ γέγονεν ὄαρ); ibid., vol. 2, p. 379 (Προϋπάρχει δὲ τῶν τοιούτων τὸ ἀείρειν καὶ ἡ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἄορ καὶ ἡ ξυνάορος καὶ ὁ ξυνάορος. ὅθεν ἐν μεταθέσει τὸ ὀαρίζειν καὶ τά, ὡς ἐρρέθη, ἐξ αὐτοῦ); ibid., vol. 2, p. 722 (Ὄαρ δέ, ὡς καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ δηλοῦται, ἡ γυνή, ἐκ τοῦ ἀείρω τὸ συζευγνύω, ἐξ οὗ ἄορ καὶ μεταθέσει ὄαρ, ἵνα μὴ συνεμπίπτῃ πρὸς τὸ ἄορ τὸ ξίφος)

Modern etymology

The etymology as a root-noun from ἀείρω is still advocated by some. Better is Ruijgh's suggestion that it is from *n̥s-r̥ "sword", cognate with Ved. asi- and Lat. ensis "sword", with Achaean or Aeolic vocalism (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre