ἀήρ

Validation

No

Last modification

Tue, 08/20/2024 - 11:45

Word-form

ἦρι

Transliteration (Word)

ēri

English translation (word)

early

Transliteration (Etymon)

aēr

English translation (etymon)

morning mist, air

Author

Scholia in Iliadem

Source

idem

Ref.

b Schol. Il. 1.477b

Ed.

H. Erbse, Scholia Graeca in Homeri Iliadem (scholia vetera), vols. 1-5, 7, Berlin: De Gruyter, 1:1969; 2:1971; 3:1974; 4:1975; 5:1977; 7:1988

Quotation

γίνεται δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἀήρ ἀέρος ἀέρι καὶ ἦρι

Translation (En)

It comes from aēr "air", aeros, aeri, and ēri "early"

Comment

Derivational etymology relying on a contraction. It is semantically unclear. We don't know what meaning of ἀήρ is implied here, whether the old one "mist" or the classical one "air", and the relationship between "mist"/"air" and "early" is left unexplained

Parallels

Schol. Od. 2.1c4 Pontani (ἠριγένεια] ἡ ἐν τῷ ἦρι ἤγουν ὄρθρῳ γεννωμένη, ἢ ἡ γεννωμένη ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀέρος); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 437 (Ἦρι μάλα: Ὄρθρου πάνυ, τὸ πρωῒ, ἕωθεν. Ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴρεσθαι ἡμᾶς τῆς κοίτης κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον. Τὸ δὲ ἦρι, ὀνοματικὸν ἐπίρρημα. Ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀὴρ ἀέρος ἀέρι, καὶ κατὰ κρᾶσιν, ἦρι. Τὸ δὲ ἀέρι καὶ διὰ τοῦ η φησὶν ὁ ποιητὴς, ‘Ἠέρι γὰρ κατείχετο’)

Modern etymology

From ἠέρι "in the morning" with contraction, derived from the r-stem derived from "dawn" and found in αὔριον "tomorrow" and ἀήρ "(morning) mist", hence "air" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre