κτίζω

Validation

No

Last modification

Wed, 04/30/2025 - 11:00

Word-form

κτίλος

Transliteration (Word)

ktilos

English translation (word)

tame, obedient

Transliteration (Etymon)

ktizō

English translation (etymon)

to found

Author

Eustathius of Thessalonica

Century

12 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Comm. Il., vol. 4, p. 296

Ed.

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

Quotation

Περικτίονες δὲ περίοικοι, πέριξ κτίσαντες οἰκήσεις. [Δοκεῖ δὲ προϋπάρχειν αὐτοῦ ῥῆμα τὸ κτίω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ Τραγῳδίᾳ κτίται, ὅπερ ἐστὶ κτήτορες, ἴσως δὲ καὶ ὁ κτίλος καὶ κύριον ἡ Κτιμένη καὶ τὸ ἐϋκτίμενον πτολίεθρον καὶ ἡ ἐϋκτιμένη ἀλωή. κεκίνηται δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον ῥῆμα, καθὰ καὶ τὸ κτίζω, ἀπὸ τοῦ κτῶ. 

Translation (En)

The periktiones are the neighbors (perioikoi), who have founded their houses all around. It seems that the base of this word is ktiō, from which the ktitai in tragedies, that is, ktitores "founders", and maybe also ktilos "ram" and properly the Ktimenē, and the euktimenon ptoliethron "well-built city" (Homer) and the euktimenē alōē "well-built threshing area". And such a verb is, like ktizō, derived from ktō "to acquire"

Comment

Derivational etymology apparently meant to account for the meaning of the substantivated adjective, "ram" (the tamed animal). Eustathius relates this word to the nearest verb, with which it shares the initial syllable /kti/. This etymology happens to be probably correct. However, Eustathius does not develop the semantic aspect and suggests tentatively the etymology.

Parallels

There is no parallel

Modern etymology

Belongs with κτίζω "to found", as the animal "from the house" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre