γαλήνη

Validation

No

Last modification

Wed, 03/06/2024 - 22:10

Word-form

γλήνη

Transliteration (Word)

glēnē

English translation (word)

eyeball, pupil

Transliteration (Etymon)

galēnē

English translation (etymon)

stillness of the sea, calm

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, gamma, p. 39-40

Ed.

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

Quotation

Γλήνη, ἡ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν κόρα. παρὰ τὸ δι’ αὐτῶν τὸν νοῦν γαληνιᾶσθαι τῇ ποικιλίᾳ τῶν ὁρατῶν. ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ γλαύσειν, ὃ ἐστὶ λάμπειν.

Translation (En)

Glēnē, the "pupil" of the eyes. From the fact that the mind becomes calm (galēniasthai) thanks to them because of the variety of the visible world. Or from glaussein, which means "to shine"

Comment

Derivational etymology: the bright stillness of a calm sea is compared to the state of the human mind enjoying the brightness of the visible world, which it sees through the  pupils. The etymology implies a syncope of the second vowel in the etymon

Parallels

Meletius, De natura hominis, p. 68 (γλήνη δὲ, παρὰ τὸ τὸν νοῦν γαληνοῦσθαι· τῆς γὰρ διαθέσεως τοῦ νοῦ δεικτικοὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ λεύσσειν, ὅ ἐστι λάμπειν); Etym. Gudianum, gamma, p. 313 (Γλήνη· ἡ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν κόρη· παρὰ τὸ δι’ αὐτῆς τὸν νοῦν γαληνιοῦσθαι τῇ ποικιλίᾳ τῶν ὁρατῶν); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, gamma, p. 312 (Γλαύσσω· λάμπω· ἐξ οὗ καὶ γλήνη, ἡ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν κόρη, παρὰ τὸ δι’ αὐτῶν γαληνεύεσθαι τῇ ποικιλίᾳ τῶν ὁρατῶν τὴν αἴγλην. γλήνη δέ ἐστι φάος. γλήνη λέγεται καὶ κόρη παρθένος); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 233 (Γλήνη: Ἡ κόρη τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ, γαλήνη τις οὖσα· καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν, γλήνη· παρὰ τὸ γαληνιοῦσθαι τὸν νοῦν δι’ αὐτῆς τῇ τῶν ὁρατῶν ποικιλίᾳ. Ἢ παρὰ τὴν αἴγλην, αἰγλήνη· καὶ ἀποβολῇ τῆς ΑΙ συλλαβῆς. Ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ γλαύσσειν, ὅ ἐστι λάμπειν· εἰσὶ γὰρ ἔμπυροι); Eustathius, Comm. Il., vol. 3, p. 610 (Ἰστέον δὲ ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἀξιοθέατα εἰπόντες τὰ τρίγληνα καὶ οἱ τριόφθαλμα διὰ τὴν γλήνην οὕτως ἐνόησαν, δι’ ἧς ὀφθαλμοῦ κόρη δηλοῦται, γινομένη κατὰ συγκοπὴν ἐκ τοῦ γαλήνη); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, gamma, p. 440 ( Γλήνη. ἡ κόρη τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ. οἱονεὶ γαλήνη τὶς οὖσα καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν γλήνη. γαληνιᾷ γὰρ ὁ νοῦς δι’ αὐτῆς τῇ τῶν ὁρατῶν ποικιλίᾳ. ἢ παρὰ τὸ τὴν αἴγλην, αἰγλήνη, καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ αι γλήνη); Etym. Symeonis, gamma 112 (Γλήνη· ἡ κόρη τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ· οἱονεὶ χαλήνη τις οὖσα καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν γλήνη. Παρὰ τὸ γαλανιοῦσθαι τὸν νοῦν δι’ αὐτῆς τῇ τῶν ὁρατῶν ποικιλίᾳ εἴρηται γλήνη· ἢ παρὰ τὴν αἴγλην αἰγλήνη καὶ ἀποβολῇ τῆς αι διφθόγγου γλήνη. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ γλαύσειν, ὅ ἐστι βλάπτειν, εἰσὶ γὰρ ἔμπυροι)

Modern etymology

Probably belongs with γαλήνη, with a primary meaning "brightness, shining", and with the root of γελάω "to laugh" (*gelh2-) (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre