ὀρέγω

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No

Last modification

Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:20

Word-form

ὄργανον

Transliteration (Word)

organon

English translation (word)

tool, instrument

Transliteration (Etymon)

oregō

English translation (etymon)

to reach at, to desire

Author

Choeroboscus

Century

9 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 184

Ed.

T. Gaisford, Georgii Choerobosci epimerismi in Psalmos, vol. 3, Oxford, 1842

Quotation

ὄργανον, παρὰ τὸ ὀρέγω, τὸ ἐπιθυμῶ, ἢ παρὰ τὸ ὀρῶ τὸ διεγείρω. Γάννυσθαι γὰρ καὶ χαίρειν παρασκευάζει τοὺς καταυλουμένους.

Translation (En)

Organon "instrument", from oregō "to desire", or from orō "to wake up", for it provides joy and pleasure to those who are charmed by the sound of the pipe

Comment

Derivational etymology, meant to account for the meaning "music instrument" of ὄργανον rather than the general meaning "tool". The semantic explanation with its reference to the pipe makes it clear that this is the intended meaning. Therefore, the music instrument can be "desired" because of the pleasure it provides

Parallels

Etym. Gudianum, omicron, p. 433 (Ὄργανον, παρὰ τὸ ὀρέγω, τὸ ἐπιθυμῶ, γίνεται ὀρέγανον, καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν ὄργανον· καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνου αὐλοῦντος, πολλοὶ εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν κινοῦνται· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄρω τὸ ἁρμόζω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ἅρμα, γίνεται ἀργάγανον καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς ο ὄργανον, τὸ ἐν ποικιλίᾳ συνηρμοσμένον); Eustathius, Exegesis in canonem iambicum penqecostalem 1.161 (Ὄργανα δὲ ἰδίως νῦν τὰ μουσικά, οὐ κυριολεκτικῶς ἀλλὰ κοινότερον διὰ τὴν ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς ὄρεξιν τῶν ὡς ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀργοτέρων, μάλιστα δὲ τῶν ἐν πανηγύρεσιν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 629 (Ὄργανον: Ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀρέγω, τὸ ἐπιθυμῶ, γίνεται ὀρέγανον καὶ ὄργανον· γάννυσθαι γὰρ καὶ χαίρειν τοὺς καταυλουμένους ποιεῖ. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ὀρέγω, τὸ διεγείρω); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, omicron, p. 1467 (Ὄργανον. παρὰ τὸ ὀρέγω ὀρέγανον καὶ ὄργανον)

Modern etymology

Belongs with ἔργον "work", PIE *werg- "to work", cognate with Engl. work (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has όργανο "tool, music instrument, organ"

Entry By

Le Feuvre