χέω + ὁράω

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Sun, 11/12/2023 - 18:10

Word-form

κόρη

Transliteration (Word)

korē

English translation (word)

girl, pupil (eye)

Transliteration (Etymon)

kheō + horaō

English translation (etymon)

to pour + to see

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, kappa, p. 80-81

Ed.

F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820

Quotation

(s.v. κείρω) ἐπὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἡ κόρη, οὕτω χόρη· ἀπὸ τοῦ δι’ αὐτῆς χεῖσθαι τὸ ὁρατικὸν πνεῦμα

Translation (En)

for the eyes, the pupil (korē), thus *khorē, from the fact that through it is poured (kheîsthai) the seeing (horatikon) spirit

Comment

Compositional etymology, meant specifically for the meaning "pupil" and unfit for the meaning "girl". It requires a formal change of χ into k. For Greek philosophers, the eye was the source of light, emitting rays through the pupil.

Parallels

Meletius, De natura hominis, p. 68 (κόρη μὲν, οἷα χόρη, ἐκ τοῦ δι’ αὐτῆς χεῖσθαι τὸ ὁρατικὸν πνεῦμα); Leo Medicus, De natura hominum synopsis 41 (κόρη δὲ οἷον χόρη, ἐκ τοῦ δι’ αὐτῆς χεῖσθαι τὸ ὀπτικὸν πνεῦμα); Etym. Parvum, omicron 17 (ἐξ οὗ γίνεται κόρη τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ. καὶ τί μετέχει; χέω· χεόμενον γὰρ τὸ ὁρατικὸν πνεῦμα τὴν ὅρασιν ἀποτελεῖ); Suda, kappa 2078 (κόρη δ’ ἂν λέγοιτο καὶ τὸ τρῆμα τὸ ἐν τῷ ῥαγοειδεῖ χιτῶνι, παρὰ τὸ δι’ αὐτῆς χεῖσθαι τὸ διορατικὸν πνεῦμα, χόρη τις οὖσα, καὶ κόρη); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 338 (Κόρη, ἐπὶ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ οἱονεὶ χορή τις οὖσα, ἀπὸ τοῦ δι’ αὐτῆς χεῖσθαι τὸ ὁρατικὸν πνεῦμα); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 529 (Κόρη δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ, οἱονεὶ χόρη τὶς οὖσα, ἀπὸ τοῦ δι’ αὐτῆς χεῖσθαι τὸ ὁρατικὸν πνεῦμα); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, kappa, p. 1237 (Κόρη. ἐπὶ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ. οἱονεὶ χόρη τὶς οὖσα, ἀπὸ τοῦ δι’ αὐτῆς χεῖσθαι τὸ διορατικὸν πνεῦμα); Scholia in Theocritum (vetera), 1.47 (κῶρος: ἀπὸ τοῦ <κόρη> κόρη ἡ τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ οἱονεὶ χόρη τις οὖσα ἀπὸ τοῦ δι’ αὐτῆς χεῖσθαι τὸ διορατικὸν πνεῦμα)

Modern etymology

Metaphorical meaning of κόρη "girl", because of the small image that can be seen in the pupil of the eye

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has κόρη "pupil of the eye"

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