This etymology illustrates quite well the tendency to analyze words with initial [a] as compounds with the prefix ἀ- and the double interpretation of the latter, either privative intensive: it was not a problem to have two opposite meanings for the same word, since wind can blow strongly (with strength, "intensive" meaning) or gently (without strength, privative meaning). See s.v. ἄκμων. The association with μένος comes from Homer, Od. 5.478 τοὺς μὲν ἄρ’ οὔτ’ ἀνέμων διάη μένος ὑγρὸν ἀέντων "even the wet strength of winds blowing does not go through them" (the end of the line ἀνέμων μένος ὑγρὸν ἀέντων is repeated in Hesiod, Th. 869, Op. 625), that is, the etymology is rooted in a specific context. It then implies a formal manipulation, metathesis of consonants. This explanation is somehow surprising, however, since the privative compound of μένος is well known in Greek, it is ἀμενής, which does not follow the thematic inflection of ἄνεμος, but Greek etymologists did not bother with such morphological considerations.