ἀήρ
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
ἐξαερουμένου δὲ τοῦ ὕδατος ὁ ἀὴρ ὁ γινόμενος φέρεται, ὅ ἐστιν αὔρα
Translation (En)
And when the water becomes air (exaeroumenou), the air (aēr) that is produced is carried away, that is, the breeze (aura)
Parallels
Herodian, Peri pathôn (Supplementum), Lentz III/2, p. 315 (κράσει τοῦ αε εἰς τὴν αυ δίφθογγον αὔτως ὡς ἀέρα αὔρα καὶ γρᾶες γραῦς καὶ νᾶες ναῦς); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 29 (idem); Epimerismi homerici Il. 1.410b2 (ἐπαύρωνται: συζυγίας δευτέρας τῶν περισπωμένων. γίνεται παρὰ τὸ αὐρῶ, τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ αὖρα (σημαίνει δὲ τὴν ταχεῖαν καὶ λεπτοτέραν φωνήν), τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ἀήρ, ἀέρος, ἀέρα καὶ κράσει {καὶ} τοῦ αε εἰς τὴν αυ δίφθογγον, ὥσπερ αἱ νάες αἱ ναῦς καὶ αἱ γράες αἱ γραῦς); Orion, Etymologicum, alpha, p. 14 (Αὖρα, παρώνυμον κατὰ ἀναστροφὴν, ἀπὸ ἀρσενικοῦ εἰς θηλυκόν· ὡς ξυστὴρ, ξύστρα· γαστὴρ, γάστρα· καὶ ἀὴρ, ἄρα, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ υ αὖρα· ὡς αἱ γράες, γραῦς· αἱ νάες, ναῦς); Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), p. 611 (αὖρα, παρὰ τὸ ἀὴρ ἄρα· ὡς παρὰ τὸ ξυστὴρ, ξύστρα· καὶ πλεονασμὸς τοῦ υ αὖρα); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1409 (Αὔρα· ἡ λεπτοτάτη πνοὴ τοῦ ἀνέμου. ἔστι δὲ παρώνυμον παρὰ τὸ ἀήρ ἄρα καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ υ αὔρα μεταχθὲν ἀπὸ ἀρσενικοῦ εἰς θηλυκὸν γένος, ὡς ξυστήρ ξύστρα, γαστήρ γάστρα. δύναται δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀήρ ἀέρος γενέσθαι ἀέρα καὶ κατὰ κρᾶσιν αὖρα, ὡς γράες αἱ γραῦς καὶ ⟦αἱ⟧ νάες αἱ ναῦς); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 234 (Αὔρα· παρὰ τὸ ἀήρ κατὰ ἀναστροφὴν παρωνύμως); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 234 (Αὔρα· παρώνυμον κατὰ ἀναστροφὴν ἀπὸ ἀρσενικοῦ εἰς θηλυκόν, ὡς ξυστήρ ξύστρα, γαστήρ γάστρα, καὶ ἀήρ ἄρα, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ υ αὔρα. <δύναται δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀήρ ἀέρος γενέσθαι ἀέρα καὶ κατὰ κρᾶσιν αὔρα,> ὡς αἱ γρᾶες αἱ γραῦς, αἱ νᾶες αἱ ναῦς); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 170 (same as Genuinum, then adds Ἢ ἀὴρ, αὐήρ· καὶ κατὰ τροπὴν τοῦ η εἰς α, ὡς μήτηρ, μήτρα, αἴθρα); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 312 (αὔρα· ἡ λεπτοτάτη πνοὴ τοῦ ἀνέμου· παρὰ τὸ ἀήρ ἄρα καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ υ αὔρα, παρώνυμον κατὰ ἀντιστροφὴν ἀπὸ ἀρσενικοῦ εἰς θηλυκόν, ὡς ξυστήρ ξύστρα, γαστήρ γάστρα. δύναται καὶ ἀήρ ἀέρος ἀέρα καὶ αὔρα κατὰ κρᾶσιν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 344 (idem, except the beginning Αὖρα. λεπτὴ πνοή).
The etymology is probably hinted at by Damascius, De principiis, vol. 1, p. 323 (Σιδώνιοι δὲ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν συγγραφέα πρὸ πάντων Χρόνον. ὑποτίθενται καὶ Πόθον καὶ Ὀμίχλην, Πόθου δὲ καὶ Ὁμίχλης μιγέντων ὡς δυεῖν ἀρχῶν Ἀέρα γενέσθαι καὶ Αὔραν, Ἀέρα μὲν ἄκρατον τοῦ νοητοῦ παραδηλοῦντες, Αὔραν δὲ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ κινούμενον τοῦ νοητοῦ ζωτικὸν προτύπωμα)
Comment
Implicit derivational etymology. Since this etymology is found as an explicit one in lexicographers, it is likely that it was intended as an etymology by Aristotle. The breeze is air in motion, coming from the evaporation of the water, so that it was easy to derive the air in motion from the name of the element.