νέομαι

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Last modification

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 22:20

Word-form

νοῦς

Transliteration (Word)

noos

English translation (word)

mind

Transliteration (Etymon)

neomai

English translation (etymon)

to come back

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, nu, p. 107

Ed.

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

Quotation

Νοῦς. […] οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὸ νεῖσθαι.

Translation (En)

Nous "mind": […‘ others, from neisthai "to go"

Comment

Derivational etymology, relying on the regular alternation e ~ o. Νοῦς, contracted from νόος, is derived from νέομαι, as λόγος is derived from λέγω. The verb νέομαι is understood here as an equivalent of "to go"—this is implicit in Orion, and explicit in later sources. The mind is "moving"

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), p. 615 (νοῦς, περὶ τὸ νέεσθαι· ὁ πανταχόσε κινούμενος καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα προϊὼν, ὡς Ὅμηρος, ὥστε πτερὸν ἠνόημαι); Damascius, De principiis, vol. 1, p. 181 (ὥστε ὁ νοῦς, ὅτι νεῖται ἐπὶ τὸ ὄν. […] ἀφ’ ἧς καὶ ὁ νοῦς ἐπικέκληται καὶ πρὸ τῆς γνώσεως εἰς τὸ ὂν ἤδη νεόμενός τε καὶ ἐπανιών); Meletius, De natura hominis, p. 21 (νοῦς δὲ παρὰ τὸ νέεσθαι· ὁ πάντοτε κινούμενος, καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς προϊὼν ἐν ἡμῖν πράγματος· τί γὰρ ὁρμητικώτερον τοῦ νοῦ; καθὼς Ὅμηρος φησὶν, ‘ὡς δ’ ὅταν ἀΐξῃ νοὸς ἀνέρος’· (Il. 15.80.) καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ· ‘ὥστε πτερὸν, ἠὲ νόημα’· (Od. 7.36.)); Leo Medicus, De natura hominum synopsis 9 ( νοῦς λέγεται παρὰ τὸ νέεσθαι, ὁ πάντοτε κινούμενος);  Etym. Gudianum, nu, p. 411 (Νοῦς, παρὰ τὸ νέεσθαι πάντοτε, κινούμενος καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων προϊών· ὃ, τι γὰρ ὁρμητικώτερον νοῦ; Ὅμηρος, οὐδ’ ὅταν ἀΐξη νόος ἄνερος· καὶ ὡσεὶ πτερὸν ἠὲ νόημα); ibid., p. 412 (Νοῦς, παρὰ τὸ νέεσθαι καὶ ὁρμᾷν· τὶ γὰρ κινητικώτερον τοῦ νοός); Joannes Galenus, Allegoriae in Hesiodi Theogoniam, p. 313 (Νηρέα δὲ ὁ λόγος τὸν πρακτικὸν νοῦν ὀνομάζει νῦν, ὃν καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πόντου γεννηθῆναι πρεσβύτατον λέγει, τάχα διὰ τὸ νέεσθαι ῥεῖα, τουτέστι πορεύεσθαι); Scholia in Pindarum, O 1.30 (Νόον. […] Εἴρηται δὲ παρὰ τὸ νέεσθαι τὸ πορεύεσθαι, ὁ πάντοτε ἐν ἡμῖν κινούμενος· οὐδὲν γὰρ νοὸς ὁρμητικώτερον. Καὶ Ὅμηρος (Il. 15.80) ‘Ὡς δ’ ὅτ’ ἂν ἀΐξῃ νόος ἀνέρος’)

Modern etymology

Unknown. See different hypotheses in Beekes (EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has νους "mind"

Entry By

Le Feuvre