ἑλεῖν

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Last modification

Sun, 12/22/2024 - 11:40

Word-form

ἐέλδω

Transliteration (Word)

eldomai

English translation (word)

to wish

Transliteration (Etymon)

helein

English translation (etymon)

to seize

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, epsilon, p. 51

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ἐέλδω. παρὰ τὸ ἑλεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἕλκειν

Translation (En)

Eeldō "to wish", from helein "to seize" for oneself and to draw

Comment

Derivational etymology relying on the identity of the initial sequence /el/. The difference between smooth breathing in the lemma and rough breathing in the etymon is not taken into account. Semantically, the idea is that men try to seize (etymon) what they long for (lemma). See also ἔλδωρ / ἑλεἰν

Parallels

Eustathius, Comm. Il., vol. 1, p. 59–60 (ἐέλδωρ δὲ τὸ ἐπιθύμημά ἐστιν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔλδω γινόμενον ῥήματος πλεονασμῷ καὶ ἑτέρου ε. φησὶ γοῦν που Ὅμηρος «ἧς ἔλδεαι ἤματα πάντα». εἰ δὲ καὶ τρισυλλάβως ἐέλδω εὕρηται, εἴη ἂν καὶ ἐκεῖθεν τὸ ἐέλδωρ. προϋπάρχει δὲ αὐτῶν τὸ ἕλω. δῆλον γὰρ ὡς ἕλοιτ’ ἄν τις τὸ ἐπιθυμητόν, ὥσπερ καὶ ἀνάπαλιν ἐπιθυμήσοι ἂν τοῦ αἱρετοῦ. εἰ δὲ δασύνεται μὲν τὸ ἑλεῖν καὶ ἑλέσθαι, ψιλοῦται δὲ τὸ ἔλδεσθαι, αἴτιον ἡ τοῦ δ ἐπένθεσις); Schol. Pindarum, O. 1.6 (Ἔλδεαι] Ἐπιθυμεῖς, ἐθέλεις. —Ἔλδεαι]* Ἔλδω, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου ἔλδομαι, τὸ ἐπιθυμῶ, τὸ γʹ ἔλδεται, ἀποβολῇ τοῦ τ ἰωνικῶς ἔλδεαι ἀντὶ το(ῦ) ἔλδῃ καὶ ἐπιθυμεῖς. Εἴρηται δὲ ἡ λέξις ἀπὸ τοῦ ἕλκω, κατὰ μετάθεσιν τοῦ κ εἰς δ· εἰς ὃ γάρ τις ἐπιθυμεῖ ἐκεῖ ἕλκεται· ἢ παρὰ τὸ (θέ)λω, τοῦ θ τραπέντος εἰς δ, κατὰ Μακεδόνας, καὶ ὑπερθέσεως γενομένης· οἷον θέλω, δέλω, ἔλδω καὶ ἔλδομαι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἕλω, τὸ προκρίνω· δῆλον γὰρ ὡς ἕλοιτο ἄν τις τὸ ἐπιθυμητόν. Εἰ δὲ δασύνεται τὸ ἑλεῖν ψιλοῦται δὲ τὸ ἔλδεσθαι, αἴτιον ἡ τοῦ δ ἐπένθεσις)

Modern etymology

The older form is ἐέλδομαι < *h1weld- "to wish"; derivative ἐέλδωρ "wish". No cognate outside Greek (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre