λύω + ἀρά
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
λύρα
Word-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
lura
English translation (word)
lyre
Transliteration (Etymon)
luō + ara
English translation (etymon)
to unbind + curse
Century
11 AD
Source
idem
Ref.
Etym. Gudianum, lambda, p. 375
Ed.
F. Sturz, Etymologicum Graecae linguae Gudianum et alia grammaticorum scripta e codicibus manuscriptis nunc primum edita, Leipzig: Weigel, 1818 (repr. Hildesheim: Olms, 1973)
Quotation
Λύρα, παρὰ τὸ λύω, λύσω, λύρα· ἐδόθη γὰρ τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι παρ’ Ἑρμοῦ, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἔβλεψε τὰς βοῦς αὐτοῦ λύτρα τις οὖσα, ἢ παρὰ τὸ λύειν τὴν ἀράν·
Translation (En)
Lura "lyre". From luō "to unbind, to release", <future> lusō, lura. For it was given to Apollo by Hermes, as a ransom for the oxen that he had stolen from him, or from "to solve the curse" (luein tēn aran)
Parallels
Eustathius, Prooemium commentaire in Pindari opera 34 (ὡς δὲ λύρα εἴρηται ἢ παρὰ τὸ λύειν ἀρὰς οἷς πρὸς ἡδονὴν γλυκέως ἁρμόττεται, ἢ παρὰ τὸ μυθικῶς εἰς λύτρον καταλλακτήριον εὑρεθῆναι ὑπὸ Ἑρμοῦ, ὃς χέλυν, ὅ ἐστι λύραν, ἐξ ὀστράκου συντεθεῖσαν χελώνης δοὺς τῷ Φοίβῳ ἀντὶ βοῶν κλοπῆς οὕτως ἐλύσατο ἑαυτῷ τὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κλέμματος χόλον, λέγουσι καὶ αὐτὰ οἱ παλαιοί)
Modern etymology
Probably a loanword (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
MG still has λύρα
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Compositional etymology, referring to the same mythological episode of the invention of the lyre by Hermes as the usual etymology (see λύρα / λύτρον). The instrument "solves the curse" against Hermes