ἔρα

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Thu, 08/01/2024 - 23:05

Word-form

κέραμος

Transliteration (Word)

keramos

English translation (word)

potter's clay, clay vesse, pottery

Transliteration (Etymon)

era

English translation (etymon)

earth

Author

Choeroboscus

Century

9 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 94

Ed.

T. Gaisford, Georgii Choerobosci epimerismi in Psalmos, vol. 3, Oxford, 1842

Quotation

Κεραμεύς ποίου εἴδους; Παραγώγου. Καὶ πόθεν γίνεται; Παρὰ τὸ κέραμος· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ τὴν ἔραν, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν γῆν, ἐξ οὗ καὶ γέρανος, ὁ τὰ τῆς γῆς ἐρευνῶν σπέρματα

Translation (En)

Of what type is kerameus "potter"? It is a derivative. Where does it come from? From keramos "potter's clay". The latter from era, which means "earth", from which comes geranos "crane", the one searching the seeds the earth contains

Comment

Derivational descriptive etymology, implying that the initial /k/ is a secondary addition. The etymon refers to the material from which the lemma is made

Parallels

Etym. Parvum, kappa 20 (Κρεμῶ· ἔστιν ἔρα ἡ γῆ, ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἔραμος καὶ κέραμος καὶ κεραμῶ καὶ συγκοπῇ κερμῶ, καὶ ὑπερθέσει τοῦ Ρ κρεμῶ, ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν κεράμων); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 345 (Κρεμῶ, ἔστιν ἔρα ἡ γῆ, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γίνεται ἔραμος καὶ κέραμος καὶ κεραμῶ, καὶ συγκοπῇ κερμῶ, καὶ ἐν ὑπερβιβασμῷ κρεμῶ, ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν κεράμων); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 315 (Κέραμος, Ἀπολλόδωρος φησὶ παρὰ τὴν κεκαυμένην ἔραν ἤγουν γῆν· ἔρα ἔραμος καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ κ κέραμος· οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὸ κεκάφθαι τῇ ἔρᾳ); ibid., p. 504 (Κεραμεύς: Παρὰ τὸ κέραμος· τοῦτο παρὰ τὴν ἔραν ἔραμος, καὶ κέραμος. Ἀπολλόδωρος τὴν κεκαυμένην γῆν ἔραν φησίν· οἱ δὲ, παρὰ τὸ κεκάφθαι τῇ ἔρᾳ); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, kappa, p. 1185 (Κεραμικός. ἀπὸ τοῦ κεραμεὺς, κεραμέως, κεραμεικὸς καὶ κεραμικός. καὶ κέραμος. παρὰ τὴν ἔραν ἔραμος, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ κ, κέραμος. οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὸ κεκαῦθαι τῇ ἔρᾳ)

Modern etymology

Unknown. Maybe connected with κεράννυμι "to mix" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has κέραμος as a learned word. The usual word is κεραμίδι "tile", from the old diminutive

Entry By

Le Feuvre