χέω + μέγεθος
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
χθών
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
khthōn
English translation (word)
earth
Transliteration (Etymon)
kheō + megethos
English translation (etymon)
to pour + size
Century
2-3 AD
Source
idem
Ref.
:em>Stromata 5.8.47.6
Ed.
L. Früchtel, O. Stählin, and U. Treu, Clemens Alexandrinus, vols. 2, 3rd edn. and 3, 2nd edn. [Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller 52 (15), 17. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 2:1960; 3:1970]
Quotation
χθὼν δὲ ἡ γῆ εἰς μέγεθος κεχυμένη
Translation (En)
Khthōn "earth" is the earth (gē) poured (kekhumenē) in quantity (eis megethos)
Parallels
There is no parallel
Modern etymology
Old inherited name of the earth, with cognates in all IE languages, belonging with χαμαί, χθαμαλός etc. PIE *dhghom- with either metathesis or cluster simplification in Greek (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
No, but the derived adjective χθόνιος "belonging to the underworld" still exists as a learned word
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Compositional etymology, in which χέω provides the first consonant and μέγεθος the /th/. The etymology by χέω alone is found elsewhere, but this compositional variant is not.