ἴσχω

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Sun, 09/01/2024 - 14:45

Word-form

ἰσχνός

Transliteration (Word)

iskhnos

English translation (word)

dry, lean

Transliteration (Etymon)

iskhō

English translation (etymon)

to hold, to withhold

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. 330

Edition

C. Theodoridis, Die Fragmente des Grammatikers Philoxenos [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 2. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1976

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, iota, p. 76

Ed.

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

Quotation

(Theodoridis) ἰσχνός· παρὰ τὸ ἴσχω ἰσχός, καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ν ἰσχνός. οὕτως Φιλόξενος ἐν τῷ Περὶ παραγώγων.

Translation (En)

Iskhnos "dry". From iskhō "to withhold", and by addition of /n/, iskhnos. This is what Philoxenus says in his On derivatives

Comment

Derivational etymology, formally very simple but semantically difficult. A semantic justification is provided in the Gudianum (see Parallels): leanness is assimilated to weakness and lack of strength, therefore it "holds back" the foot (ἴσχειν, ὅ ἐστι συνέχειν τὸν πόδα), and hinders motion

Parallels

Herodian, Peri pathôn, Lentz III/2, p. 233 (ap. Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, pi 144) (τὸ δὲ πυκνός γίνεται ἀπὸ τοῦ πτύσσω πτυκνός ἐλλείψει τοῦ τ ὡς ἴσχω ἰσχνός); idem, Peri orthographias, Lentz III/2, p. 527 (ἰσχάδες: παρὰ τὸ ἴσχω παραγωγὸν ἰσχνῶ, ἰσχνάς καὶ ἀποβολῇ τοῦ ν ἰσχάδες. τὰ λεπτυνθέντα σῦκα ἐν τῷ ξηραίνεσθαι); Orion, Etymologicum, iota, p. 76 (Ἰσχνός. παρὰ τὸ ἴσχω, οὗ παράγωγον ἰσχνῶ. ὄνομα ἰσχνός); Etym. Gudianum, iota, p. 284 (Ἰσχνὸς, παρὰ τὸ ἴσχειν, ὅ ἐστι συνέχειν τὸν πόδα· καὶ παρὰ τὸ ἀνέχεσθαι τῆς γῆς); Eustathius, Comm. Od., vol.2, p. 201 (ἀπὸ τοῦ ἴσχω γενόμενον, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ἰσχὰς τὸ ἰσχνὸν σῦκον); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 479 (Ἰσχνός: Ὁ λεπτός. Παρὰ τὸ ἴσχω, ἰσχὸς καὶ ἰσχνός. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἴσχω, ἰσχνῶ καὶ ἰσχνός); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, iota, p. 1124 (Ἰσχνός. παρὰ τὸ ἴσχω ἰσχνὸς, πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ν. οὕτως Φιλόξενος)

Modern etymology

Probably cognate with Av. hisku- "dry", MIrish sesc "id.". Isolated within Greek (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has ισχνός as a learned word

Entry By

Le Feuvre