λα- + τέμνω
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
λαῖτμα
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
laitma
English translation (word)
depth of the sea
Transliteration (Etymon)
la- + temnō
English translation (etymon)
much + to cut
Source
idem
Ref.
A Schol. Il. 19.267d Erbse
Ed.
H. Erbse, Scholia Graeca in Homeri Iliadem (scholia vetera), vols. 1-5, 7, Berlin: De Gruyter, 1:1969; 2:1971; 3:1974; 4:1975; 5:1977; 7:1988
Quotation
λαῖτμα: παρὰ τὸ λίαν τέμνεσθαι· τὸ γὰρ λα ἐπιτατικὸν μόριον. ἢ παρὰ τὸ λατύσ<σ>εσθαι, ὅ ἐστι τύπτεσθαι ταῖς κώπαις.
Translation (En)
Laitma "depth of the sea": from "to be cut" (temnesthai) greatly (lian): for the la- is the intensive prefix. Or from latussesthai, which means to be beaten by the oars
Parallels
Scholia in Ap. Rh., Arg. 1.1299, p. 117-118 (λαῖτμα δὲ τὸ κύτος τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ διάστημα, οἱονεὶ λάταμα, ἢ παρὰ τὸ λατύσσεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν κυμάτων, ὅ ἐστι τύπτεσθαι)
Modern etymology
Unknown (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
No
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Compositional etymology. The first member is identified as the intensive prefix λα-, and the second member as "to cut". The formal similarity between -τμα and τμητός, τμῆσις, τμῆμα, derivatives of τέμνω, is enough to make this etymology possible (it requires the addition of /i/ afterwards), even though it is far from compelling from the semantic point of view. The sea is the "great cut" between lands.