νοτέω

Validation

No

Last modification

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 11:55

Word-form

νότος

Transliteration (Word)

notos

English translation (word)

South wind

Transliteration (Etymon)

noteō

English translation (etymon)

to be wet

Author

Heraclides Ponticus the Younger

Century

2 AD

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, nu, p. 109

Ed.

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

Quotation

Νότος. ὁ ἄνεμος. ἀπὸ τοῦ νοτεῖν καὶ τῆς νοτίδος. αὕτη δὲ ἡ νοτὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νεῖσθαι. οὕτως ὁ Ἡρακλείδης.

Translation (En)

Notos, the South wind. From noteîn "to be wet", and the moisture it brings. And this word notis "moisture" itself comes from neisthai "to go"

Comment

Derivational descriptive etymology, deriving the noun from the verb, which is the rule for Greek grammarians. The name of the wind is etymologized by reference to its main feature, it brings rain. The connection with νοτέω is correct, although it is more likely that the verb is derived from the noun.

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. regio 2610), p. 180 (Νότος· τάχα διὰ τὸ νοτίζον ἢ τὴν νοτίαν αἴρειν); Etym. Gudianum, nu, p. 412 (idem); Suda, nu 509 (Νότος: ὁ ἄνεμος. καὶ Νοτόθεν, ἀπὸ Νότου. καὶ Νότον καύσωνα. ἐτυμολογία νότου παρὰ τὸ ὀνῶ, ὀνόσω, τὸ μέμφομαι καὶ βλάπτω· ἢ παρὰ τὴν νοτίδα, ὅ ἐστιν ὑγρασίαν. ἀστειότερον δὲ ἐπέβαλεν ὁ εἰπὼν αὐτὸν Ἀττικὴν εἶναι νόσον, ὡς πρὸς σύγκρισιν τοῦ Βορρᾶ, εὐθέτου ὄντος πρὸς ὑγίειαν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 607 (Νότος: Ὁ ἄνεμος. Παρὰ τὸ ὀνῶ, τὸ βλάπτω, ὁ μέλλων, ὀνόσω, ὄνοτος, καὶ νότος, ἀφαιρέσει τοῦ ο, οἱονεὶ ὁ βλαπτικὸς τῶν καρπῶν καὶ τῶν σωμάτων. Ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ νοτεῖν καὶ τῆς νοτίδος· αὕτη δὲ ἡ νοτὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ νεῖσθαι, ὅ ἐστι διέρχεσθαι καὶ πορεύεσθαι. Σημαίνει δὲ τὴν ὑγρασίαν)

Modern etymology

Probably cognate with Arm. nay "wet, fluid" < *noto- (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre