ὄνομαι

Validation

No

Last modification

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 12:40

Word-form

νόθος

Transliteration (Word)

nothos

English translation (word)

bastard, illegitimate son

Transliteration (Etymon)

onomai

English translation (etymon)

to blame

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, nu, p. 107

Ed.

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

Quotation

 Νόθος. ὀνοτός τις ὢν, κατ’ ἀποβολὴν τοῦ ο, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ τ εἰς θ. 

Translation (En)

Nothos "bastard", a "blameful" man (onotos), by dropping of the /o/ and change of the /t/ to /th/

Comment

Derivational etymology, requiring two formal changes, which are explicit in Orion. The word receives an etymology underlining the moral condemnation of the status of illegitimate children

Parallels

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 606 (Νόθος: Παρὰ τὸ ὀνῶ, τὸ μέμφομαι καὶ βλάπτω, γίνεται ὄνοτος· καὶ κατὰ ἀποβολὴν τοῦ ο, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ τ εἰς θ, γίνεται νόθος); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, nu, p. 1403 (Νόθος. ὁ μὴ γνήσιος υἱός. παρὰ τὸ ὀνῶ, τὸ μέμφομαι καὶ βλάπτω, γίνεται ὀνότος, καὶ κατὰ ἀποβολὴν τοῦ ο καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ τ εἰς θ νόθος, ὁ μὴ ὢν γνήσιος υἱὸς, ἀλλ’ ἐκ παλλακίδος); T Schol. Il. 5.70b (νόθος δὲ ὀνοτός τις ὢν ἢ νωθὴς τῷ γένει); Scholia in Oppianum, Hal. 1.323 (Νόθος· παρὰ τὸ ὀνῶ τὸ μέμφομαι γίνεται ὄνοτος, καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ο καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ τ εἰς θ νόθος)

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has νόθος as a learned word

Entry By

Le Feuvre