λήγω

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Word-form

λάξ

Transliteration (Word)

lax

English translation (word)

with the foot

Transliteration (Etymon)

lēgō

English translation (etymon)

to cease, to end

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. 537*

Edition

C. Theodoridis, Die Fragmente des Grammatikers Philoxenos [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 2. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1976

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, lambda, p. 96

Ed.

F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820

Quotation

λάξ· παρὰ τὸ λήγω ῥῆμα, οὗ μέλλων λήξω, λὴξ καὶ λάξ· διὰ τὸ τῷ λήγοντι μέρει τοῦ ποδὸς, τουτέστι τῷ ἄκρῳ, πλήττειν (Theodoridis)

Translation (En)

Lax "with the foot": from the verb lēgō "to cease", the future of which is lēxō, *lēx and lax: to hit with the end part of the leg, that is, the extremity

Comment

Derivational etymology, taking the future form as its starting point, as often in Philoxenus. The future provides the /ks/. The change from η to α relies on the familiar alternation found in ἵστημι / ἵσταμεν. The etymology is intended as descriptive. The foot is the end part of the leg, therefore, to hit with the foot is to hit with the end. Eustathius provides the semantic explanation: "with the end part (of the leg)." 

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum, lambda, p. 96 (Λάξ. παρὰ τὸ λήγω ῥῆμα, οὗ μέλλων λήξω, λὴξ λὰξ, τὸ τῷ λήγοντι μέρει τοῦ ποδὸς, τουτέστι, τῷ ἄκρῳ πλήττειν); ibid. (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), kappa, p. 615 (λὰξ παρὰ τὸ λήγω λήξω, λάξ· διὰ τὸ τῶ λήγοντι μέρει τοῦ ποδὸς πλήσσειν); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, pi 144 (ἀλλάξω ἀλλάξ καὶ ἐναλλάξ, κουρίζω κουρίξω κουρίξ, δήκω δήξω δήξ δάξ καὶ ὀδάξ, λήγω λήξω λήξ καὶ λάξ, τὸ τῷ λήγοντι μέρει παίειν); Etym. Gudianum, lambda, p. 362 (Λὰξ, παρὰ τὸ λήγω ῥῆμα, λήξω, λὴξ καὶ λὰξ ὁ τῷ λήγοντι μέρει τοῦ ποδὸς, τουτ’ ἔστι τῷ ἀκρῷ πλήττει, ὁ λέγεται λάκταια); Eustathius, Comm. Il., vol. 1, p. 380 (ἀπὸ τοῦ δάκω δάξω δάξ, [ἢ καὶ ὡς λήγω λήξω λήξ καὶ λάξ, οὕτω δήκω δήξω δήξ καὶ δάξ] καὶ κατὰ πλεονασμὸν ὀδάξ); ibid., vol. 2, p. 246 (Γίνεται δὲ τὸ λάξ, ὡς πολλαχοῦ φαίνεται, ἀπὸ τοῦ λήγω λήξω. Ὡς γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ παύω παύσω ὁ πούς, οὕτω καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ λήγω λήξω τὸ λάξ, ὅπερ ἐστὶ ταὐτὸν τῷ ληκτικῶς, παυστικῶς, καὶ ὡς εἰπεῖν ποδικῶς); ibid., vol. 3, p. 36 (Ἔστι δὲ τὸ λάξ, ὡς καὶ ἐν Ὀδυσσείᾳ, ποιότητος ἐπίρρημα, καὶ δηλοῖ τὸ ληκτικῶς, ἤγουν τῷ λήγοντι μέρει τοῦ ποδός, ὅ ἐστι τοῖς δακτύλοις ἢ καὶ τῷ πέλματι. καὶ ἔστι τὸ ποδί ἐφερμηνευτικὸν τοῦ λάξ, τεθὲν πρὸς πλείω σαφήνειαν. Ὡς γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ λήγω λήξω λήξ καὶ λάξ, καθὰ καὶ προδεδήλωται, οὕτω καὶ πούς ἀπὸ τοῦ παύσω); Eustathius, Comm. Od., vol. 1, p. 69 (ὡς γὰρ λήγω λήξω λὴξ καὶ ἐν συστολῆ λὰξ, οὕτω δήκω τὸ δάκνω δήξω δὴξ καὶ δάξ); ibid., vol. 2, p. 143 (Τὸ δὲ λὰξ ἔνθορεν ἰσχίῳ, ἀντὶ τοῦ τῷ λήγοντι τοῦ ποδὸς μέρει τῷ πρὸς τοῖς δακτύλοις ἔκρουσε τὸ ἰσχίον πρὸς τῷ γλουτῷ); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 556 (Λάξ: Ἀπὸ τοῦ λήγω ῥήματος, ὁ μέλλων, λήξω· λὴξ καὶ λὰξ, τὸ τῷ λήγοντι μέρει τοῦ ποδὸς (τουτέστι τῷ ἄκρῳ) πλήττειν. Καὶ Ὅμηρος Ἰλιάδος κʹ, ‘Λὰξ ποδὶ κινήσας’); Commentaria in Dionysii Thracis Artem grammaticam, Scholia Vaticana, p. 276 (Τὸ δὲ λάξ τὸ ὑπόμνημα οὕτω σχηματίζει· λακτίζω λακτίσω, δωρικῶς λακτίξω, λάκτιξ καὶ συγκοπῇ λάξ· ἄμεινον δὲ οὕτως, λήγω λήξω λήξ καὶ λάξ, τὸ διὰ τοῦ λήγοντος μέρους τοῦ σώματος γινόμενον)

Modern etymology

Unknown. Within Greek, probably related to ληκῆσαι, λακῆσαι· πατάξαι (Hesychius) (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG keeps the adverb in the frozen phrase πυξ-λαξ "violently"

Entry By

Le Feuvre