ἵκω

Validation

No

Last modification

Tue, 10/12/2021 - 14:52

Word-form

ἰκμάς

Transliteration (Word)

ikmas

English translation (word)

moisture

Transliteration (Etymon)

hikō

English translation (etymon)

to come

Author

Herodian

Century

2 AD

Reference

Peri orthographias, Lentz III/2, p. 413

Edition

A. Lentz, Grammatici graeci, vol. III/2, Leipzig, 1870

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, iota, p. 77

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ἰκμάς. παρὰ τὸ ἱκνεῖσθαι ἄνωθεν πρὸς ἡμᾶς. ἀπὸ τοῦ Διὸς ὕοντος. οὕτως Ἡρωδιανός. 
 

Translation (En)

Ikmas "moisture". From "to come" (hikneisthai) from above to us, from Zeus' rain. This is what Herodian says

Comment

Derivational etymology. The etymon is a motion verb, moisture is what "comes" from the sky. This etymology requires a psilosis, since the lemma has a rough breathing. Herodian's derivation may have started from ἱκνέομαι → *ἱκνάς (derivative) > ἰκμάς (by τροπή, change of /n/ to /m/). The Gudianum gives the etymon as ἥκω: this is a mere problem of iotacism, not a different etymology — arguably, ἥκω was more familiar than ἵκω for a Byzantine copyist

Parallels

Herodian, De prosodia catholica, Lentz III/1, p. 58 (idem) [same caveat]; Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), iota, p. 614 (ἰκμὰς παρὰ τὸ ἰκνεῖσθαι ἄνωθεν πρὸς ἡμᾶς); Etym. Gudianum, iota, p. 273 (Ἰκμὰς, ἐκ τοῦ ἥκω τὸ παραγίνομαι. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἰκνύσθαι αὐτήν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 470 ( Ἱκμάς: Ἡ ὑγρὰ σταγών· ἢ λιπαρότης. Παρὰ τὸ ἵκω ἱκμάς); ibid., p. p. 470* (Ἰκμάς: Ὑγρασία, σταγὼν, ἢ λιπαρότης, ὡς τὸ, ‘ἀφαρδέστερον (ἄφαρ δέ τε) ἰκμὰς ἔβη’, Ἰλιάδος ρʹ. (392.) ἀντὶ τοῦ ταχέως δὲ ἡ ὑγρασία διέρχεται τοῦ στέατος οὖσα ἐλαιώδης. Παρὰ τὸ ἴκω ἰκμὰς, καὶ Ἰκμάλιος ὄνομα τέκτονος (Od. τʹ. 57.), ὁ ἰκμάδας καὶ ἱδρῶτας στάζων ἐν τῷ κάμνειν καὶ φιλοπονεῖν. Ἰκμὰς παρὰ τὸ ἱκνεῖσθαι ἄνωθεν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ Διὸς ὕοντος); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, iota, p. 1101 (Ἰκμάς. ἡ ὑγρασία. [παρὰ τὸ ἵκω ἱκμὰς, ὅθεν καὶ ἴκμενον οὖρον. παρὰ τὸ ἱκνεῖσθαι. ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἱκμάδα.])

Modern etymology

Isolated within Greek. PIE *seek- "to pour out". Cognate with Skr. siñcáti "to pour out", OHG sīhan "to strain" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has ικμάδα (from the old Acc.) as a learned word

Entry By

Le Feuvre