λίαν + ἔχω
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
λόγχη
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
lonkhē
English translation (word)
spear-head
Transliteration (Etymon)
lian + ekhō
English translation (etymon)
much + to hold
Century
5 AD
Source
idem
Ref.
Etymologicum, lambda, p. 96
Ed.
F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820
Quotation
Λόγχη. παρὰ τὸ λίαν ἔχεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ χρωμένου
Translation (En)
Lonkhē "spearhead": from the fact it is much (lian) held (ekhesthai) by the one who uses it
Parallels
Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), p. 615 (idem)
Modern etymology
Unknown (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
No
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Compositional etymology: the spear is strongly held by the soldier. The interesting point is that in that case, we can trace back this etymology to a mistake made by Orion. The source is Herodian, who has ἔγχος […] πλεονάζει δὲ τὸ γ, ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ λόγχη (παρὰ τὸ λόχος λόχη καὶ λόγχη, ἡ εἰς λόχον ἐπιτήδειος) καὶ τῷ γλίχεσθαι (παρὰ τὸ λίαν ἔχεσθαι λίχεσθαι καὶ γλίχεσθαι "enkhos "spear" […] the /g/ is added, as in λόγχη – from λόχος "ambush" comes λόχη and λόγχη, the one fit for an ambush – and in γλίχεσθαι "to desire eagerly" – from λίαν ἔχεσθαι "to hold much", λίχεσθαι and γλίχεσθαι ) (text of the Epimerismi homerici, epsilon 183, ed. Dyck, = Herodian, Peri pathôn, Lentz III/2, p. 283-284). The etymology λίαν ἔχεσθαι is that of γλίχεσθαι, not of λόγχη, which Herodian traces back to λόχος (see λόγχη / λόχος). But Orion dropped a line and erroneously related the etymology of the second instance of added /g/ (γλίχεσθαι) to the first instance of the same phenomenon (λόγχη)