θεός + ἀρέσκω

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No

Last modification

Sun, 11/10/2024 - 18:05

Word-form

θρησκεύειν

Transliteration (Word)

thrēskeuō

English translation (word)

to perform religious observances

Transliteration (Etymon)

theos + areskō

English translation (etymon)

god + to please

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologcum, p. 73

Ed.

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

Quotation

Θρησκεύειν. παρὰ τὴν Θρακῶν ἐπιμέλειαν τὴν περὶ τὸ θεῖον, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Ὀρφέως ἱερουργίαν. δύναται δὲ καὶ παρὰ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀρέσκειν, ὅ ἐστιν ἐξευμενίζεσθαι

Translation (En)

Thrēskeuein "to perform religious observances", from the worship of the Thracians for the gods and the cult of Orpheus. However, it can also come from "to please (areskein) the gods (theous)", that is, to propitiate them

Comment

Compositional etymology, in which the word for "god" provides the initial letter of the lemma. It may seem sensible to etymologize a word referring to religious cultural activity by a word for "god", and to complete the etymology with any verb referring to worship, here ἀρέσκω understood as "to make s.o. favorable". However, the etymology is formally rather complex. Orion's wording does not include phonetic elements about the derivation. Presumably, the latter was *θε-αρεσκω > *θηρεσκω (contraction) > θρησκ- (metathesis). Compare the derivation provided in the Gudianum for θρησκεία < *θεαρεσκία

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, theta, p. 264 (Θρησκεία, θεαρεσκία τις οὖσα, ἀπὸ τοῦ θρησκεύω· η δίφθογγος καὶ τὸ α μακρόν); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, p. 586 (Θρησκεία, παρὰ τὴν τῶν Θρᾳκῶν ἐπιμέλειαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ θεῖον, καὶ τὴν Ὀρφέως ἱερουργίαν· οὗτοι γὰρ ἐξεῦρον τὴν περὶ τὸ θεῖον εὔνοιαν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀρέσκεσθαι, ὅ ἐστιν ἐξευμενίζεσθαι); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 455 (Θρῆσκος: Ἑτερόδοξος· ἐκ τοῦ Θρᾷξ Θρᾳκός· καὶ θρηισκεία, παρὰ τὴν τῶν Θρᾳκῶν ἐπιμέλειαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ θεῖον καὶ τὴν Ὀρφέως ἱερουργίαν· οὗτοι γὰρ πρῶτον ἐξεῦρον τὴν περὶ τὸ θεῖον εὔνοιαν. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀρέσκεσθαι ἢ ἀρέσκειν. ὅ ἐστιν ἐξευμενίζεσθαι· καὶ ὁ Θεολόγος, ‘Οὐ Θρᾳκῶν ὄργια· παρ’ ὧν καὶ τὸ θρῃσκεύειν, ὡς λόγος.’); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, theta, p. 1053 (Θρησκεία. ἡ λατρεία, ἢ ζῆλος περὶ τὴν πίστιν. παρὰ τὴν Θρᾳκῶν ἐπιμέλειαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ θεῖον. οὗτοι γὰρ πρῶτον ἐξεῦρον τὴν περὶ τὸ θεῖον ἔννοιαν. [ἢ παρὰ τὸ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀρέσκεσθαι, ὅ ἐστιν ἐξευμενίζεσθαι. ἢ θρησκεία τὸ ὁποιονοῦν σέβας, εἴτε εἰς θεὸν εἴτε εἰς δαίμονας· μᾶλλον δὲ εὐσέβεια λέγεται εἰς θεόν.])

Modern etymology

Unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has θρησκεύομαι, θηρσκεία, as learned words

Entry By

Le Feuvre