ἐπαρδεύω

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Wed, 08/28/2024 - 22:45

Word-form

ἧπαρ

Transliteration (Word)

hēpar

English translation (word)

liver

Transliteration (Etymon)

epardeuō

English translation (etymon)

to water

Author

Meletius

Century

9 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

De natura hominis, p. 102

Ed.

J. A. Cramer, Anecdota Graeca e codd. manuscriptis bibliothecarum Oxoniensium, vol. 3, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1836 (repr. Amsterdam: Hakkert, 1963)

Quotation

λέγεται δὲ ἧπαρ, παρὰ τὸ ἐπῆρθαι καὶ κεκυρτῶσθαι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐπαρδεύειν ὅλον τῷ σώματι αἷμα· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἥδω τὸ εὐφραίνω, ἧδαρ καὶ ἧπαρ· ἐν γὰρ τούτῳ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἡδονῆς, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας· ὅτι καὶ Τιτυὸς διὰ τοῦ ἥπατος κολάζεται.

Translation (En)

The liver (hēpar) is so called because it is suspended and rounded. Or from the fact that it waters (epardeuein) the whole blood for the body. Or from hēdō "to rejoice", *hēdar and hēpar, for in it lies the sense of pleasure and desire – for this reason Tityos is punished through his liver

Comment

Derivational etymology retaining the preverb and the first syllable of the verbal stem. Then a lengthening of the initial vowel is applied, and aspiration added (this is implicit in Meletius' wording). The liver was thought to be the blood-producing organ, therefore it "waters" the whole body thanks to the blood it produces. The text right after ἐπαρδεύειν is corrupt (see the correct wording in Leo Medicus, epitomizer of Meletius)

Parallels

ibid., p. 21 (ἐξ ἥπατος δὲ, ᾧ τρεφόμεθα καὶ αὐξανόμεθα, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἡμῶν ἐπαρδεύεται σῶμα); Leo Medicus, De natura hominum synopsis 67 (λέγεται δὲ ἧπαρ παρὰ <τὸ> ἐπῆρθαι καὶ κυρτοῦσθαι ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀρδεύειν τὸ σῶμα ὅλον αἵματι); Etym. Gudianum, eta, p. 246 (Ἧπαρ, παρὰ τὸ ἥδω, ἧδαρ καὶ ἧπαρ, δι’ αὐτοῦ γὰρ εὐφραινόμεθα. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄρδειν τὸ σῶμα τῷ σώματι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἠσθικὸν καὶ ὀρεκτικὸν ἡδονῆς εἶναι. ὁ δὲ Χρύσιππος παρὰ τὸ ἡδὺ φησὶν εἶναι, πεπηγὸς γὰρ αἷμα, τὸ δὲ αἷμα φυσικῶς γλυκύ); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 433 (Ἧπαρ: Παρὰ τὸ ἐπῆρθαι καὶ κεκυρτῶσθαι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐπαρδεύειν τῷ σώματι καὶ χορηγεῖν τὸ αἷμα· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐπαίρεσθαι ἔπαρ, καὶ ἧπαρ· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἥδω, τὸ εὐφραίνομαι, ἧδαρ καὶ ἧπαρ· δι’ αὐτοῦ γὰρ εὐφραινόμεθα, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει τὰ τῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ τὰ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἔγκειται); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, eta, p. 1001 (Ἧπαρ. ὄργανον ἐξαιματώσεως τροφῶν. παρὰ τὸ ἐπῆρθαι καὶ κυρτῶσθαι. τινὲς δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐπαρδεύειν ὅλῳ τῷ σώματι τὸ αἷμα. ὁ δὲ Ἡρω- διανὸς παρὰ τὸ ἐπαίρεσθαι φησὶν, οἷον ἔπαρ τὶ ὂν καὶ ἦπαρ. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἥδω, τὸ εὐφραίνομαι, ἧδαρ καὶ ἧπαρ· ἐν γὰρ τούτῳ τῷ μέρει τὰ τῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἔγκειται. οὕτως Ὦρος ὁ Μιλήσιος);

Modern etymology

Old inherited name of the liver, from *Hyēkw-r̥. Cognate with Lat. jecur, Ved. yakr̥t ((Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has ήπαρ as a learned word (anatomical vocabulary)

Entry By

Le Feuvre