πᾶς + τηρέω

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Sun, 08/20/2023 - 12:30

Word-form

πατήρ

Transliteration (Word)

patēr

English translation (word)

father

Transliteration (Etymon)

pās + tēreō

English translation (etymon)

all + to protect

Author

Ps-Athanasius

Century

4 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Liber de definitionibus, MPG 28, p. 536

Ed.

J.-P. Migne, Patrologiae cursus completus (series Graeca) (MPG) 28, Paris: Migne, 1857-1866

Quotation

Εἴρηται δὲ Πατὴρ, ἢ ὡς τὰ πάντα τηρῶν, ἢ ὡς τοὺς οἰκείους παῖδας τηρῶν καὶ στηρίζων οἷα πατήρ

Translation (En)

God is called patēr "father" either because he watches over everything (panta tērôn) or because he protects his own children (paidas tērôn) and comforts them, like a father

Comment

Compositional etymology. Together with the etymology παῖς + τηρέω, it constitutes a complementary etymology. A human father protects his children, but God protects the whole world, therefore there are two different etymologies for two uses of the word, one for God and one for men

Parallels

Ps.-Athanasius, Quaestiones aliae, p. 784 (Πατὴρ λέγεται ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς τὰ πάντα τηρῶν· ὡσανεὶ πάντων τηρητής.); Anastasius Sin., Viae dux 2.2 (Εἴρηται δὲ πατὴρ ἢ ὡς τὰ πάντα τηρῶν ἢ ὡς τοὺς οἰκείους παῖδας τηρῶν, οἷον «παι–τήρ»); Epimerismi homerici Il. 1.98a (πατήρ: ἐπὶ Θεοῦ παρὰ τὸ πάντας τηρεῖν. εἴρηται δὲ καὶ ἄλλως πατήρ παρὰ τὸ πατεῖν ἐν τῇ συνουσίᾳ, καθάπερ τὰ λοιπὰ ζῷα); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 134 (Πατρία, παρὰ τὸ πατὴρ, πατέρος, πατριά· τὸ δὲ πατὴρ παρὰ τὸ τοὺς παῖδας τηρεῖν, ἢ παρὰ τὸ πατῶ, ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων· οἱ γὰρ ἵπποι ἐν τῇ συνουσία πρῶτον πατῶσι τὰς θηλείας. Ἐτυμολογεῖται δὲ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ θεοῦ, παρὰ τὸ τοὺς πατέρας τηρεῖν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, παρὰ τὸ τοὺς παῖδας τηρεῖν [the etymology πατέρας τηρεῖν is probably a corrupt form of the etymology πάντας τηρεῖν, not a different etymology]); Etym. Gudianum, pi, p. 455 (Πατὴρ, ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ τὰ πάντα τηρῶν καὶ καταχρηστικῶς, ἐπὶ δὲ ἀνθρώπου κυρίως, ὁ τοὺς ἰδίους παῖδας τηρῶν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 655 (Πατὴρ, παρὰ τὸ τοὺς παῖδας τηρεῖν· ἢ ὅτι ἵπποι ἐν τῇ συνουσίᾳ πρῶτον πατοῦσι τὰς θηλείας. Πατὴρ οὖν, ὁ τοὺς παῖδας ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ ἔχων. Εἰ δὲ σημαίνει τὸν θεὸν, γίνεται παρὰ τὸ τὰ πάντα ὁρᾶν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, pi, p. 1505 (Πατήρ. ὄνομα πρός τι τῆς οὐσίας αὐτὸ λεγόμενον. πατὴρ μὲν οὖν κυρίως εἴρηται ἀναίτιος ὑπόστασις γεννητικὴ ἀγέννητος. εἴρηται δὲ πατὴρ ἢ ὡς πάντα τηρῶν, ἢ ὡς τοὺς οἰκείους παίδας τηρῶν); Commentaria in Dionysii Thracis Artem Grammaticam, Commentariolus Byzantinus, p. 568 (Ἐτυμολογία δέ ἐστιν ἕτοιμος ἑρμηνεία λέξεως, οἷον ὡς ὅταν ἐρωτηθῶμεν, τί ἑρμηνεύεται πατήρ, ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ θεοῦ ἑτοίμως ἀποκριθῶμεν, «ὁ τὰ πάντα τηρῶν», ἐπὶ δὲ ἀνθρώπου «ὁ τοὺς ἰδίους παῖδας τηρῶν»)

Modern etymology

Old name of the father, found in almost all IE languages. PIE *ph2tér- (Beekes)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG has πατέρας, after the old accusative πατέρα

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