ἄημι

Validation

No

Last modification

Wed, 12/27/2023 - 23:05

Word-form

ἆσθμα

Transliteration (Word)

asthma

English translation (word)

panting

Transliteration (Etymon)

aō, aēmi

English translation (etymon)

to breathe

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, alpha, p. 26

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ἆσθμα, ἄω τὸ πνέω, ἄσμα, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ θ

Translation (En)

Asthma "panting": is "to breathe", *asma, and with addition of /th/

Comment

Derivational etymology, starting from the thematic variant of ἄημι and deriving a neuter in -σμα. The the required form is obtained through the insertion of a consonant

Parallels

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1265 (Ἆσθμα· ἡ ἀναπνοή· παρὰ τὸ ἄω, τὸ πνέω, ἄσω ἦσμαι ἆσμα, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ θ ἆσθμα. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀσθμαίνω); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 143 (ἄσθμα (Ο 241): ὄνομα ῥηματικόν. παρὰ τὸ ἄω ἐστί, τὸ σημαῖνον τὸ πνέω. καὶ ὤφειλεν εἶναι ἄσμα, τὸ πνεῦμα, ὡς ξύω ξύσμα, πλεονασμῷ τοῦ θ. —ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄημα. —πέπονθεν ἐπενθέσει τοῦ θ (τὸ γὰρ ἀνάλογον ἦν ἄσμα)); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 211 (idem); ibid., alpha, p. 211 (Ἄσθμα· παρὰ τὸ ἄω, τὸ πνέω, ἄσω ἆσμα καὶ ἄσθμα); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 153 (idem); Eustathius, Comm. Il., vol. 4, p. 427 (Τὸ δὲ ἀΐσθειν γίνεται ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄω, τὸ πνέω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὸ ἆσθμα καὶ τὸ ἀσθμαίνειν); ibid., vol. 2, p. 816-817 (Ὥσπερ δὲ ταῦτα ἐκ τοῦ ἀΰω, οὕτω καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἄω ἀτμός καὶ ἀτμίς. Ἐκεῖθεν δὲ παρῆκται καὶ τὸ ἆσθμα καὶ τὸ ἀσθμαίνειν); ibid., vol. 3, p. 728 (Ὅρα δὲ ὡς ἐκ τοῦ ἄω καὶ τὸ ἆσθμα γίνεται, καὶ τὸ ἀΐειν ἐπὶ ἀκοῆς, καὶ τὸ ἄϊον ἦτορ, καὶ ὅτι τὸ ἀΐειν ἦτορ οὐ μακράν ἐστι τοῦ ἀσθμαίνειν. τῷ γοῦν εἰπόντι, ὅτι φίλον ἄϊον ἦτορ, ἀνωτέρω ἐρρέθη τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἆσθμα παύεσθαι); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 323 (Ἆσθμα. ἡ συνεχομένη πνοὴ καὶ συγκοπτομένη. παρὰ τὸ ἄω τὸ πνέω.)

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has άσθμα "asthma" as the name of the disease

Entry By

Le Feuvre