εὖ + Ζεύς

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Mon, 12/30/2024 - 19:25

Word-form

εὐδία

Transliteration (Word)

eudia

English translation (word)

clear weather

Transliteration (Etymon)

eu + Zeus

English translation (etymon)

well + sky

Author

Eustathius of Thessalonica

Century

12 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Comm. Il., vol. 1, p. 651

Ed.

M. van der Valk, Eustathii archiepiscopi Thessalonicensis commentarii ad Homeri Iliadem pertinentes, Leiden, 1971-1987

Quotation

ὅτι δὲ Ζεὺς καὶ ὁ ἀήρ, δεδήλωται πολλαχοῦ. ἐξ οὗ καὶ ἡ εὐδία, ὅ ἐστιν ἡ εὐαερία.

Translation (En)

That Zeus also means "air" has been demonstrated many times. From there comes eudia "clear weather", that is, "good air"

Comment

Correct compositional etymology, with the minor problem that the stem of Zeus does not mean "air" but "sky"

Parallels

ibid., vol. 2, p. 603 (Ὅτι δὲ Ἶρις παρὰ τὸ εἴρειν, ὅ ἐστιν ἀγγέλλειν λέγεται, ὡς καὶ ὁ Ἶρος καὶ ὁ Ἑρμῆς, ὅθεν καὶ Ὅμηρος ἐνταῦθα Ἶρίν φησιν ἀγγελέουσαν, καὶ ὅτι Διὸς ἄγγελός ἐστιν, ἤγουν ἀέρος, οἷα ποτὲ μὲν εὐδίαν, ὅ ἐστιν εὐαερίαν, δηλοῦσα, ποτὲ δὲ ὑετὸν, δῆλόν ἐστιν); ibid., vol. 3, p. 863 (Ἢ καὶ ἄλλως ἁπλούστερον, αἰθέρα ἔστι νοῆσαι τὴν αἰθρίαν καὶ εὐδίαν, ἵνα ᾖ ὁ νοῦς ὅτι νέφος ἐξ Ὀλύμπου εἰς οὐρανὸν ἔρχεται μετὰ εὐδίαν. ἣν ἀποσεμνύνων αἰθέρα δῖαν λέγει πρὸς διαστολὴν τῆς λαίλαπος, ἢ καὶ ἄλλως, ἐπεὶ ἐκ Διός, ἤγουν ἀέρος, γίνεται); Eustathius, Comm. Od., vol. 1, p. 11 (   
ἀφ’ οὗ καὶ ὁ αἰθὴρ Ζεὺς. καὶ αἰθρία ἡ κατ’ αὐτὸν εὐδία); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 389 (Εὔδιος καὶ εὐδία: Ἡ τοῦ ἀέρος ἠρεμία, καὶ κυρίως ἀβροχία· παρὰ τὸ δεύω, τὸ βρέχω, δευΐα· καὶ κατὰ μετάθεσιν, εὐδία· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ εὕδω εὐδία· δοκεῖ γὰρ κοιμᾶσθαι ὁ ἀὴρ, ὥς φησιν Ὅμηρος, ‘ὄφρ’ εὕδῃσι μένος βορέαο καὶ ἄλλων | ζαχρειῶν ἀνέμων’. Ἢ ὅτι ὁ Ζεὺς σημαίνει καὶ τὸν οὐρανόν· καὶ εὔδιος, ὁ αἴθριος. Ἢ εὐοδία τὶς ἐστὶ, χρήσιμος τοῖς ὁδοιποροῦσιν· ἢ σύνθετόν ἐστι τὸ εὔδιος παρὰ τὸ Δία, ἵν’ ᾖ ὁ εὐάερος· Δία γὰρ καὶ τὸν ἀέρα φησὶ Πλάτων ὁ κωμικός· ‘Ἀὴρ, ὃν ἄν τις ὀνομάσειε καὶ Δία’); Etym. Symeonis, epsilon 899 (Εὐδία· ἡ τοῦ ἀέρος ἠρεμία, κυρίως ἀβροχία· παρὰ τὸ δεύω τὸ βρέχω, δευΐα· καὶ κατὰ μετάθεσιν εὐδία· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ εὕδω εὐδία. Δοκεῖ γὰρ κοιμᾶσθαι ὁ ἀήρ, οἷον· ὄφρ’ εὕδῃσι μένος Βορέαο· ἢ ὅτι ὁ Ζεὺς σημαίνει καὶ τὸν οὐρανόν· καὶ εὔδιος, ὁ αἴθριος. Ἢ εὐοδία τις οὖσα, χρήσιμος τοῖς ὁδοιποροῦσι)

Modern etymology

Compound of εὐ- "good" and *diew- "sky"

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has ευδία as a learned word

Entry By

Le Feuvre