ἠλάσκω

Validation

No

Last modification

Thu, 08/15/2024 - 12:15

Word-form

ἠλακάτη

Transliteration (Word)

ēlakatē

English translation (word)

distaff

Transliteration (Etymon)

ēlaskō

English translation (etymon)

to wander

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, eta, p. 68

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ἠλακάτη. ἐκτάσει τοῦ ε εἰς η. εἱλῶ εἱλάσκω καὶ τροπῇ ἠλάσκω. αἵτε κατὰ σταθμὸν ποιμνήϊον ἠλάσκουσιν. σημαίνει δὲ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τόπου εἰλεῖσθαι. οὕτως οὖν εἱλῶ εἱλήσω εἱλήσκω, καὶ τροπῇ ἠλάσκω, ῥηματικὸν ὄνομα ἠλακάτη, περὶ ἣν τὸ αὐτὸ εἵλημα εἰλεῖται.

Translation (En)

ēlakatē "distaff". By lengthening of the /e/ into /ē/. Eileō "to roll", *eilaskō, and with change <of the vowel> ēlaskō "to wander". ‘haite kata stathmon poimnēïon ēlaskousin’ (Il. 2.470) ("who drive hither and thither about the stalls of the sheepfold", Lattimore). It means "to roll in the same place". Thus, eilô, <future> eilēsō, *eilēskō, and with change <of the vowels> ēlaskō, verbal noun ēlakatē, around which the same rolling goes on

Comment

Derivational etymology, starting from a rare present ἠλάσκω, which provides the beginning of the word once the /s/ has been dropped. Ἠλάσκω does not mean "to roll" but "to wander", but since "wandering" may consist or circular paths in a given territory, it was assumed to be derived from εἰλέω "to roll". Therefore, this etymology ultimately agrees with the usual one deriving ἠλακάτη from εἰλέω (see ἠλακάτη / εἰλέω), and the chain is εἰλέω → ἠλάσκω → ἠλακάτη

Parallels

Eustathius, Comm. Od., vol. 1, p. 67 (Ἠλακάτη δὲ λέγεται, τὸ ἐριουργὸν ἐργαλεῖον παρὰ τὸ ἠλάσκω τὸ ἐν πλάνῃ εἰλοῦμαι, περὶ ἣν τὸ ἔριον ἠλάσκει); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 424 (Ἠλακάτη: Τὸ γυναικεῖον ἐργαλεῖον, ὄργανον περὶ ὃ εἰλοῦσιν αἱ γυναῖκες τὸ νῆμα. Ἐκ τοῦ ἠλάσκω, ἠλακτὴ, ὡς διδάσκω, διδακτή· καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ α, ἠλακάτη. Εἰς ἰδιότητα βαρύνεται. Εἰς ἣν τὸ αὐτὸ εἴλημα εἰλεῖται)

Modern etymology

Already attested in Mycenaean (a-ra-ka-te-ja /alakateiai/ "spinsters"). Unknown etymology (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has ηλακάτη "distaff" as a learned word, the usual word is ρόκα (borrowed from Italian)

Entry By

Le Feuvre