ἦτορ

Validation

No

Last modification

Thu, 08/15/2024 - 10:30

Word-form

ἦτρον

Transliteration (Word)

ētron

English translation (word)

abdomen

Transliteration (Etymon)

ētor

English translation (etymon)

heart

Author

Eustathius of Thessalonica

Century

12 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Comm. Il., vol. 4, p. 249

Ed.

M. van der Valk, Eustathii archiepiscopi Thessalonicensis commentarii ad Homeri Iliadem pertinentes, vols. 1-4, Leiden: Brill, 1:1971; 2:1976; 3:1979; 4:1987

Quotation

ἦτορ γὰρ καὶ κατὰ μετάθεσιν ἦτρο καὶ προσλήψει τοῦ νῦ ἦτρον, ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄω, τὸ πνέω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἦτορ τὸ ἐπὶ ψυχῆς, ἵνα ᾖ ἦτρον τὸ συντελοῦν εἰς τὸ ἄειν, ὅ ἐστι πνεῖν καὶ ζῆν.

Translation (En)

For ētor "heart" becomes by metathesis *ētro and by addition of the /n/, ētron "abdomen", as from "to blow", from which comes ētor itself, which means "soul", so that the abdomen (ētron) is part of blowing (aein), that is, of breathing and being alive

Comment

Derivational etymology, correct in its principle. Ἦτρον is indeed a thematic derivative of ἦτορ. This was correctly perceived by some Greek grammarians, on whose work Eustathius relies. However, the formal derivation path is incorrect. Since ἦτορ was assumed to be derived from "to blow" (see ἦτορ / ἄημι), the etymon of the etymon can be presented as the etymon of the lemma, resulting in "ἦτρον is derived from ἄημι"—which is what Eustathius says in the second part. The derivation chain is ἄημι → ἦτορ → ἦτρον, which is abbreviated into ἄημι → ἦτρον (see ἦτρον / ἄημι)

Modern etymology

Belongs with ἦτορ "heart". Cognate with OHG ādara- "vein", plur. "guts", OIr. in-athar "guts" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre