χέω + ὁράω
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Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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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
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)
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.