χαλάω + ἴς2
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
χαλινός
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
khalinos
English translation (word)
bit (of a horse)
Transliteration (Etymon)
khalaō + is2
English translation (etymon)
to loosen + strength
Century
12 AD
Source
idem
Ref.
Etym. Magnum p. 805
Ed.
T. Gaisford, Etymologicum Magnum, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1848
Quotation
Χαλινός: Χανινός τις ὢν, παρὰ τὸ χαίνειν, ὅτι δι’ αὐτοῦ χαίνειν γίνεται· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἲς ἰνὸς καὶ τὸ χαλῶ, τὸ πρὸς τὴν δύναμιν χαλώμενον
Translation (En)
Khalinos "bit" (of a horse): a *khaninos, as it were, from khainein "to gape", because gaping is produced by it. Or from is, inos "strength" and khalô "to loosen", that which is loosened for the strength
Parallels
Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, chi, p. 1839 (Χαλινός. παρὰ τὸ χαίνειν, ὅτι δι’ αὐτοῦ χαίνειν γίνεται. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἲς, ἰνὸς, καὶ τὸ χαλῶ γίνεται χαλινός); J. Pediasimus, Scholia in Hesiodi Scutum, p. 644 (χαλινὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ χαλᾶν τὴν ἶνα)
Modern etymology
Unknown (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
MG still has χαλινός as a learned word meaning "bit" of a horse (the usual word is χαλινάρι) and "commissure" (anatomical)
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Compositional etymology. The first member is identified as χαλάω, as in the competing etymology χαλινός / χαλάω + ἡνία, and the second member as the word meaning "force, strength". The meaning of this combination can be either that the bit diminishes the strength and speed of the horse (with ἴς being the object of the verb), or that the bit (by metonymy for the reins) is loosened in order to let the horse go full speed (with ἴς being an accusative of aim). The explanation provided in the Etym. Magnum indicates that the latter interpretation was preferred, although no compound in Greek has a structure verb+accusative of aim