δάϊς + φρήν

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Sun, 12/31/2023 - 12:25

Word-form

δαΐφρων

Transliteration (Word)

daïphrōn

English translation (word)

warlike

Transliteration (Etymon)

daïs + phrēn

English translation (etymon)

battle + mind

Author

Apollonius Soph.

Century

1 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Lexicon homericum, p. 56

Ed.

I. Bekker, Apollonii Sophistae lexicon Homericum, Berlin: Reimer, 1833 (repr. Hildesheim: Olms, 1967)

Quotation

δαΐφρων πολεμικός, ἀπὸ τοῦ δαΐζειν, ἀφ’ οὗ καὶ δαῖς ἡ μάχη· “ἐν δαῒ λυγρῇ.”

Translation (En)

Daïphrōn "warlike": from daïzō "to divide", from which also comes daïs "battle", ‘en daï lugrēi’ "in the terrible battle"

Comment

The first member of the compound is identified as δάϊς "battle". This is not obvious in Apollonius' wording, which starts from δαίζω, itself the etymon of δάϊς (see δάΐς / δαΐζω). The compound literally means "whose mind is in battle". From there Greek authors deduced a meaning "strong, courageous", which is used to explain why the epithet can be applied to women, who are not "warlike"

Parallels

Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, delta 57 (δαΐφρων: ὁ πολεμικὸν φρόνημα ἔχων· παρὰ τὴν δαΐ δοτικὴν καὶ τὸ φρήν· τῆς δὲ δαΐ δοτικῆς ἡ εὐθεῖα δαΐς· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ δαίω, τὸ κόπτω, κατὰ διάλυσιν δαΐω καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ζ δαΐζω· ὁ μέλλων δαΐσω καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν δαΐς); Etym. Gudianum, delta, p. 330 (idem); Suda, delta 18 (Δαΐφρονος: συνετοῦ ἢ πολεμικοῦ [implicit etymology]); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 245 (Ἔστι καὶ δαῒς ἡ μάχη παρὰ τὸ δαίω, τὸ διακόπτω, κατὰ διάλυσιν δαΐω· καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ζ, δαΐζω· ὁ μέλλων, δαΐσω. Ἐξ αὐτοῦ δαΐς […] ἐξ αὐτοῦ δαΐφρων, ὁ πολεμικὸν φρόνημα ἔχων, παρὰ τὴν δαῒ δοτικὴν, καὶ τὸ φρὴν, ὁ τὰ περὶ πόλεμον φρονῶν· σημαίνει καὶ τὸν συνετὸν, παρὰ τὸ δαίω, τὸ γινώσκω· ἵν’ ᾗ ὁ δεδαηκὼς φρόνησιν. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ΔΑ ἐπιτατικὸν, ὁ μεγάλως φρονῶν); Etym. Symeonis, delta 19 (Δαΐφρων· ὃ σημαίνει τὸν συνετόν· παρὰ τὸ δαίω, τὸ γινώσκω, ἵν’ ᾗ ὁ δεδαηκὼς φρόνησιν. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ δα ἐπιτατικὸν ὁ μεγάλως φρονῶν· ἐὰν δὲ τὸν πολεμικὸν σημαίνει ὡς τὸ δαΐφρονα Τυδέως υἱόν. Παρὰ τὴν δαΐν, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν μάχην, ὁ τὰ περὶ τὸν πόλεμον φρονῶν); Schol. Od. 1.48b1 Pontani (δαΐφρονι: πολεμόφρονι. δαῒς γὰρ ἡ μάχη. ὅταν δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς Πηνελόπης λέγῃ, δεδαηκυίῃ κατὰ τὰς φρένας, τουτέστι μεμαθηκυίῃ, ἐξ οὗ τὴν συνετὴν καὶ σώφρονα βούλεται δηλοῦν); ibid., 48b2 (δαΐφρονι] περὶ τοῦ πολεμικὸν φρόνημα ἔχοντος / πολεμικῷ / δαῒς ἡ μάχη / τὰ περὶ μάχην ἐμπείρῳ); Scholia in Aeschylum (vetera), Sept. 918f (δαΐφρων] πολέμιος ταῖς φρεσίν)

Meaning "strong": Eustathius, Comm. Od., vol. 2, p. 296 (Ἰφθίμη δὲ παράκοιτις ταυτὸν ἂν εἴη τῷ, δαΐφρων Πηνελόπη, ὅ ἐστιν ἀνδρεία); ibid., vol. 2, p. 244 (εἰ δὲ δαΐφρων ἡ Πηνελόπη ἐῤῥέθη που ὡς ἀνδρεία γυνὴ, ἁρμόττει ἂν αὐτῇ διατοῦτο καὶ ἡ παχεῖα χεὶρ διὰ τὸ τοῖς ἀνδρείοις τοιαῦτα ὡς ἐπιπολὺ τὰ ἀκρωτήρια εἶναι); ibid., vol. 2, p. 102 (Ἰφθίμην δὲ αὐτὴν λέγει, καθὰ καὶ τὴν ἄλοχον τοῦ Λαέρτου δαΐφρονα, καὶ πρὸ αὐτῆς τὴν Πηνελόπην, ὡς εἴ τις εἴπῃ ἀνδρείαν γυναῖκα)

Modern etymology

Δαΐφρων originally means "wise", from *dn̥s-i-. The word was reinterpreted as meaning "warlike" when it was used as an epithet of Homeric heroes, by a synchronic etymology relating it to ἐν δαῒ λυγρῇ

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

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