λαχαίνω
Word
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Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
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Ed.
Quotation
Λάχνη δὲ ἡ τρίχωσις ἢ παρὰ τὸ λαχαίνω, τὸ σκάπτω, καθ’ ὁμοιότητα τῆς ψιλῆς γῆς καὶ μικρά τινα ἐχούσης φυτάρια λαχαινόμενα, ἐξ οὗ παράγεται καὶ τὸ λάχανον· ἢ παρὰ τὸ λα ἐπιτατικὸν καὶ τὸ χνοῦς, ὃ δηλοῖ βραχεῖάν τινα καὶ λεπτὴν τριχῶν ἀνάφυσιν, ὁποία καὶ ἡ τῶν βρεφῶν
Translation (En)
Lakhnē "hair", either from lakhainō "to dig", by comparison with the bare earth that has a tiny vegetation that is dug (lakhainomena), from which also comes lakhanon "vegetable", or from the intensive prefix la- and khnous "down", which refers to a short and thin growing hair, as the one seen in newborn babies.
Parallels
ibid., vol. 1, p. 519 (λάχνη γὰρ ἡ τρίχωσις, ὡς ἡ ἐπὶ ἄρκτων καὶ ἀλωπέκων καὶ τῶν τοιούτων, [ἐν οἷς καὶ ἵπποι καὶ λέοντες, καὶ εἴ τις δέ που κατὰ τὸν Θερσίτην τετρίχωται], γινομένη παρὰ τὸ λαχαίνω, τὸ διαψαίρω καὶ διασκάπτω· εὕρηται δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ φυτῶν ἡ λάχνη); ibid., vol. 3, p. 31 (Λάχνη δέ ἐστιν οὐκ αὐτόχρημα θρίξ, ἀλλὰ τρίχωσις, παρὰ τὸ λαχαίνεσθαι, ὡς ἀλλαχοῦ ἐγράφη, ὁποία καὶ ἡ τοῦ Θερσίτου ἦν. Λάχνην δὲ ἔχει καὶ ἀλώπηξ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ζῷα); Eustathius, Comm. Od., vol. 1, p. 355 (Λέγει δὲ νῦν λαχμὸν τὴν ἐκ τῆς λάχνης λασιότητα. λαμβάνεται δέ ποτε ἡ λέξις καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ λαχάνειν)
Comment
Derivational etymology relying on an agricultural metaphor. This etymology is intended for the specific meaning of λάχνη as referring to something different from θρίξ "hair". The young shoots of plants are tiny and thin, as down. And since they are tended by the peasant who digs around them (λαχαίνω), the verb is assumed to be metaphorically used for the "young hair" growing on the body.