εἰλέω

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Last modification

Sat, 11/16/2024 - 12:45

Word-form

ἴλη

Transliteration (Word)

ilē

English translation (word)

band, troop of men

Transliteration (Etymon)

eileō

English translation (etymon)

to wind, to turn round

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, p. 77

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ἴλη. τὸ πλῆθος· παρὰ τὸ ὁμοῦ εἰλεῖσθαι.

Translation (En)

Ilē "troop", the crowd, from eileisthai "to be turnedhomou "together"

Comment

Derivational etymology, probably correct by modern standards. The troop is a gathering of men. The same [ROUND] was probably lost in the evolution.

Parallels

Meletius, De natura hominis, p. 68 (ἡ δὲ κόρη τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ γλήνη λέγεται καὶ ἴλη· κόρη μὲν, οἷα χόρη, ἐκ τοῦ δι’ αὐτῆς χεῖσθαι τὸ ὁρατικὸν πνεῦμα· ἴλη δὲ, ἀπὸ τῆς εἰλήσεως καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω φορᾶς· γλήνη δὲ, παρὰ τὸ τὸν νοῦν γαληνοῦσθαι); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 470* (ἴλη σημαίνει τὴν ἄθροισιν, ἤγουν τὸ πλῆθος, παρὰ τὸ ὁμοῦ εἱλεῖσθαι· ἐκ τοῦ εἰλῶ οὖν γίνεται ἴλη διὰ τοῦ ι); ibid., p. 470* (ἴλιγγος ἀπὸ τοῦ ἰλιγγιᾶν καὶ στρέφεσθαι· τὸ δὲ ἰλιγγιῶ ἐκ τοῦ ἴλιγξ, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν συστροφήν· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ εἱλῶ, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ἴλη); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, iota, p. 1104 (Ἴλη. σύστημα, συστροφή. τάξις ὄχλου ἱππικοῦ. κυρίως δὲ, φατρία. τότε δὲ ἴλη τῶν καταφράκτων ἱππέων ὑπὲρ τοὺς τριακοσίους ἐς τοὺς ὀπισθοφύλακας κατεῤῥάγη. ἢ ἴλη ἱππέων ἑξηκοντατεσσάρων. ἢ ἴλη ἡ ἄθροισις καὶ τὸ πλῆθος. παρὰ τὸ ὁμοῦ εἱλεῖσθαι γέγονεν ἴλη διὰ τοῦ ι)

Modern etymology

Probably from *ϝιλ-νᾱ, belonging with εἰλέω. PIE *wel- "to turn" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has ίλη as a military term

Entry By

Le Feuvre