θεός + δέρκομαι
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Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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Quotation
Λέγεται ὅτι Ὀρφεὺς, Θρᾷξ ὢν τὸ γένος καὶ θεολογήσας τὰ Ἑλλήνων μυστήρια, ἐδίδαξε πῶς τε καὶ ... δεῖ τιμᾶν θεούς. τοῦτο οὖν τὸ τιμᾶν θεοὺς ἐκάλεσεν θρησκεύειν, ὡς Θρᾳκίας οὔσης τῆς εὑρέσεως. ἄλλοι δὲ ἠτυμολόγησαν ὅτι τὸ θρησκεύειν παρῆκται ἀπὸ τοῦ οἱονεὶ θεοδερκεύειν, τουτέστι θεὸν ὁρᾶν. δέρκειν γάρ ἐστι τὸ ὁρᾶν.
Translation (En)
They say that Orpheus, a Thracian by birth, and the one who taught about the Greek mysteries, taught how one must worship the gods, too. And he called this worship of the gods thrēskeuein, because its origin was Thracian. However, others provided a different etymology, namely, that thrēskeuein is derived from a *theoderkeuein, as it were, that is, "to see the god" (theon horân). For derkein means "to see"
Parallels
Suda, theta 486 (Θρησκεύει· αἰτιατικῇ. θεοσεβεῖ, ὑπηρετεῖ τοῖς θεοῖς. λέγεται γὰρ ὡς Ὀρφεὺς Θρᾷξ πρῶτος τεχνολογῆσαι τὰ Ἑλλήνων μυστήρια. καὶ τὸ τιμᾶν θεὸν θρησκεύειν ἐκάλεσαν, ὡς Θρᾳκίας οὔσης τῆς εὑρέσεως. ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεὸν δερκεύειν, ὅ ἐστιν ὁρᾶν)
Comment
Compositional etymology, formally far-fetched, designed for a mystery cult culminating in the epiphany of the god. The worship ends with the vision of the divinity. Orphic cults were mystery cults, therefore this etymology does not contradict the allegedly Orphic origin of the verb