παραθέω
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
παρθένος
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
parthenos
English translation (word)
maid, virgin
Transliteration (Etymon)
paratheō
English translation (etymon)
to pass by
Century
11 AD
Source
Idem
Ref.
Etym. Gudianum p. 454
Ed.
F.W.Sturz, Etymologicum Graecae linguae Gudianum et alia grammaticorum scripta e codicibus manuscriptis nunc primum edita, Leipzig: Weigel, 1818
Quotation
Παρθένος, παρὰ τὸ παραθέειν τὴν παιδικὴν ἡλικίαν
Translation (En)
Parthenos "virgin", from the fact that she is running out (paratheein) of the age of childhood
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum, theta, p. 266 (s.v. θυγάτηρ: παρθένος, παρὰ τὸ παραθέειν τὰς τῶν ἀῤῥένων ἡλικίας γυνὴ δὲ γινομένη ταχὺ μαραίνεται πάλιν ὡς οὖν ταχέως αὔξει, ταχέως ἀναλύει τὴν ὥραν); ibid., pi, p. 454 (Παρθένος, παρὰ τὸ παραθέειν ῥᾳδίως αὐτὴν τὴν ἀκμήν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ παρεῖναι αὐτῇ τὸ θένεσθαι καὶ γαμεῖσθαι); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 654 (Παρθένος: Παρὰ τὸ παρακαταθέειν τὴν παιδικὴν ἡλικίαν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ παραθέειν τῇ μητρὶ, ὡς ὁ ποιητὴς, ‘ἥθ’ ἅμα μητρὶ θέουσ’ ἀνελέσθαι ἀνώγει’)
Modern etymology
Unknown. The proposed reconstruction *pr-steno- "having protruding breasts" (Beekes, EDG) does not rest on anything serious
Persistence in Modern Greek
Παρθένος survives as 1. virgin, 2. Virgo (astrology/astronomy), 3. Virgin Mary, 4. anything intact, pure, unexplored. There also is παρθένα, designating 'virgin'.
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
This paronomastic etymology relies on a minimal phonetic manipulation, the monosyllabic form παρ- of the preverb παρα- being well known in several dialects and in poetry. It was customary for Greek etymologists to start from a compound verb. Two different semantic justifications are provided: "running past youth", or, after a Homeric line (Il. 16.8), "running at her mother's side" (Etym. Magnum)