δράσσομαι

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Word-form

δάκτυλος

Transliteration (Word)

daktulos

English translation (word)

finger

Transliteration (Etymon)

drassomai

English translation (etymon)

to grasp

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), delta, p. 613

Ed.

F. Sturz, Etymologicum Graecae linguae Gudianum et alia grammaticorum scripta e codicibus manuscriptis nunc primum edita, Leipzig: Weigel, 1818

Quotation

δάκτυλος ἀποβαλῆ τοῦ ρ· δράκτυλος γὰρ ἦν ἀπὸ τοῦ δράσασθαι τὰ διδόμενα, ἢ ὅτι δι’ αὐτοῦ, αἱ δείξεις γίνονται

Translation (En)

Daktulos "finger", by dropping of the /r/, for it used to be *draktulos, from the fact it grasps (drasasthai) that which is given, or because with it we can show something

Comment

Derivational etymology requiring a formal change. The finger is etymologized by its function, which is to grasp or to take. The verb δράσσομαι has a velar stem (fut. δράξομαι, aor. ἐδραξάμην), therefore the /k/ of δάκτυλος was found in the verbal stem. In late sources, it is quoted under the form of its etymon δρῶ "to master" (one of Philoxenus' monosyllabic verbs), different from δράω "to do" (see δάκτυλος / δράω). Choeroboscus, the Etym. Gudianum, and afterwards the Etym. Magnum, have an etymology of δάκτυλος by δράω, which is not found under δάκτυλος but under ὑπόδρα (Gudianum) or under δρῶ (Magnum), in a list of the different meanings of the verb δρῶ: this δρῶ is assumed as the etymon of δράσσομαι.

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum, delta, p. 45 (Δακτύλιος, ὁ φορούμενος. ἀπὸ τοῦ περὶ τὸν δάκτυλον ἰέναι ἐπὶ τῆς χειρός, οἷον δάκτυλός τις· ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ δι’ αὐτοῦ δράττεσθαι τινός); Meletius, De natura hominis, p. 121 (Οἱ δὲ δάκτυλοι δράκτυλοί τινες εἰσὶ, παρὰ τὸ δράττεσθαι· ἢ δέκτυλοι, δεκτικοὶ ὄντες τῶν διδομένων· ἢ δείκτυλοι, ἀπὸ τοῦ δι’ αὐτῶν γίνεσθαι τὰς δείξεις); Etym. Gudianum, upsilon, p. 544 (τὸ δὲ δρῶ σημαίνει τέσσαρα· δρῶ τὸ κρατῶ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ δάκτυλος, δρῶ τὸ ὑπηρετῶ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ δραπέτης, ὁ ἀποδρῶν τῆς δουλείας· δρῶ τὸ βλέπω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ὑπόδρα ἰδών· καὶ δρήθω τὸ κοιμῶμαι κατ’ ἀντίφρασιν· οἱ γὰρ κοιμώμενοι οὐ βλέπουσι· δρῶ τὸ πράττω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ δράμα); Photius, ap. Etym. Gudianum, delta, p. 332 (Δάκτυλος <Jo. Damasc. Canon. iamb. 2, 57>· παρὰ τὸ δράκτυλος καὶ <ἀ>δελφοποιὸς εἶναι· καὶ ἀδελφὰ <ποιεῖν> τὰ τικτόμενα); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, delta, p. 332 (Δάκτυλοι· <οἷον δράκτυλοι>, παρὰ τὸ δράττεσθαι· ἢ δέκτυλοι, δεκτικοὶ ὄντες· ἢ δείκτυλοι, ἀπὸ τοῦ δι’ αὐτῶν γίνεσθαι τὴν δεῖξιν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 285 (δρῶ, τὸ κρατῶ, ἐξ οὗ δράκτυλος καὶ δάκτυλος); ibid., p. 256 (Δάκτυλος: Παρὰ τὸ δράσσω, δράκτυλος τὶς ὤν· παρὰ γὰρ τὸ δράσσεσθαι. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ δέχω, δέξω, δέδεχα, δέδεγμαι, δέδεκται, δέκτυλος, καὶ δάκτυλος· καὶ δάκτυλοι, οἱ δεκτικοὶ ὄντες τῶν διδομένων. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ δείκω, τὸ δεικνύω, δείκτυλοι, καὶ δάκτυλοι· δι’ αὐτῶν γὰρ ἡ δεῖξις γίνεται); Etym. Symeonis, delta 27 (Δάκτυλος· παρὰ τὸ δράσσω δράκτυλος καὶ δάκτυλος· ἢ παρὰ τὸ δέχω δέξω δέδεχα δέδεγμαι δέδεκται, δέκτυλος καὶ δάκτυλος· οἱ ὄντες δεκτικοὶ τῶν διδομένων. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ δείκω, τὸ δεικνύω, δείκτυλοι καὶ δάκτυλοι· δι’ αὐτῶν γὰρ ἡ δεῖξις γίνεται); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, delta, p. 464 (idem, save for the beginning (Παρὰ τὸ δράσσω, δράκτυλος τὶς ὤν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ δέχω)

Etymology with δρῶ, etymon of δράσσομαι, itself etymon of δάκτυλος: Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 109 (Δάκτυλος, παρὰ τὸ δράσω, δάκτυλος, τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ δρῶ τὸ κρατῶ); Etym. Gudianum, upsilon, p. 544 (τὸ δὲ δρῶ σημαίνει τέσσαρα· δρῶ τὸ κρατῶ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ δάκτυλος, δρῶ τὸ ὑπηρετῶ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ δραπέτης, ὁ ἀποδρῶν τῆς δουλείας· δρῶ τὸ βλέπω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ὑπόδρα ἰδών· καὶ δρήθω τὸ κοιμῶμαι κατ’ ἀντίφρασιν· οἱ γὰρ κοιμώμενοι οὐ βλέπουσι· δρῶ τὸ πράττω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ δράμα); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 285 (Σημαίνει τέσσαρα· δρῶ, τὸ κρατῶ, ἐξ οὗ δράκτυλος καὶ δάκτυλος· δρῶ, τὸ ὑπηρετῶ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ δραπέτης, ὁ ἀποδρῶν τῆς δουλείας· δρῶ, τὸ βλέπω, ἐξ οὗ, ‘ὑπόδρα ἰδών’. Καὶ δρήθω, κατὰ ἀντίφρασιν· οἱ γὰρ κοιμώμενοι οὐ βλέπουσι· δρῶ, τὸ πράττω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ δρᾶμα)

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has δάχτυλο "finger", and with the older form δακτύλιος "ring", δακτυλικός (learned) "finger-".

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