χεῖμα

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Mon, 10/16/2023 - 12:25

Word-form

χειμών

Transliteration (Word)

kheimōn

English translation (word)

winter

Transliteration (Etymon)

kheima

English translation (etymon)

bad weather, winter

Author

Theognostus

Century

9 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Canones sive De orthographia

Ed.

J. A. Cramer, Anecdota Graeca e codd. manuscriptis bibliothecarum Oxoniensium, vol. 2, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1835 (repr. Amsterdam: Hakkert, 1963)

Quotation

Τὸ χειμὼν γέγονεν ἀπὸ τοῦ χέω ῥήματος, οὗ ὁ μέλλων χεύσω, ῥηματικὸν ὄνομα χεῖμα τροπῇ τοῦ υ εἰς ι, ἀφ’ οὗ χειμών·

Translation (En)

Kheimōn "winter" comes from the verb kheō "to pour", the future of which is kheusō, the verbal noun kheima "bad weather", by change of /u/ into /I/, from which comes kheimōn

Comment

Derivational etymology, involving an intermediate step between χειμών and χέω, namely the neuter χεῖμα. See the shorter wording χειμών / χέω

Parallels

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 810 (Χειμών: […] Ἀπὸ τοῦ χέω (οὗ ὁ μέλλων χεύσω) γίνεται χεῦμα, ὥσπερ πνέω πνεύσω, πνεῦμα· καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ υ εἰς ι, γίνεται χεῖμα· ἀφ’ οὗ χειμών); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, khi, p. 1846 (Χειμών. ἡ τοῦ κρύους ἀκμή. ἀπὸ τοῦ χέω, χεύσω, ῥῆμα ὄνομα χεῦμα, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ υ εἰς ι χειμών)

Modern etymology

Inherited name of the winter, belongs with χιών "snow". PIE *hhim-, with cognates in most IE languages (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has χειμώνας "winter"

Entry By

Le Feuvre