κρούω + τάφος2
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English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
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Quotation
Κρόταφος· καλεῖται δὲ οὕτως (ὅτι) ὁ κρουόμενος εἰς αὐτοὺς (αὐτὸν) τάφον ἔχει καὶ ἐκπληγος γίνεται, ὡς τὸ ‘τάφος ἕλε πάντας Ἀχαιούς’· ἢ παρὰ τὸ κηρύττειν τὸν τάφον.
Translation (En)
Krotaphos "temple". It is so named because those who are hit (krouomenos) in the temple are astonished (taphon ekhei) and paralyzed, as in ‘and astonishment seized all the Achaeans’ (Il.); or from kērussein "to announce" the tomb (taphos)
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 349 (Κρόταφος, καλεῖται οὕτως ἐπειδὴ ὁ κρουόμενος εἰς αὐτοὺς τάφον ἔχει· ὡς τὸ τάφος δ’ ἕλε πάντας Ἀχαιούς); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 541 (Κρόταφοι: Κυρίως ἐπὶ τῶν ζῴων τῶν κερατοφόρων, διὰ τὸ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν μερῶν φύεσθαι κέρατα, οἱονεὶ κερατοφόροι τινες ὄντες· ἢ ὅτι κρούουσι τὴν ἁφὴν παλλόμενοι, οἷον κρούταφοι ὡς δὲ Ἀπολλόδωρος, ὅτι συγκεκρότηνται ἀμφοτέρωθεν· ὡς δὲ Ἀπίων, ὅτι τῆς κόρσης ἅπτονται, τουτέστι τῆς κεφαλῆς. Οὕτως Σωρανός. Ἢ παρὰ τὴν κόρσην, κόρσαφος, καὶ κόρταφος· καὶ ἐν ὑπερθέσει, κρόταφος. Ἢ ὅτι τῆς κόρσης ἁφή ἐστι· κόρση, κρόση· καὶ κρόσας· καὶ τὸ κροσὸς οὕτως ἐτυμολογεῖται ἀπὸ τοῦ τέλους· φησὶ γὰρ, ἡ κεφαλὴ τὸ τελευταῖον ὁ κροσὸς καλεῖται. Ἢ ὅτι ὁ κρουόμενος εἰς αὐτὸν, τάφον ἔχει, καὶ ἔμπληκτος γίνεται, ὡς τὸ, ‘τάφος δ’ ἕλε πάντας Ἀχαιούς’); Scholia in Batrachomyomachiam 131 (κρόταφος ἡ μῆνιγξ· παρὰ τὸ κρούω καὶ τὸ τάφος, ὁ ἐν τῷ κρούεσθαι ἅμα καὶ τὸν τάφον δεχόμενος. ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ κηρύσσειν τὸν τάφον· ἅμα γάρ τις τρωθεὶς παρ’ αὐτὰ καὶ τὸν τάφον δέχεται. ἢ ἀπὸ μεταφορᾶς τῶν κερασφόρων ζώων, κερατοφόρος τις ὢν καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν καὶ μετάθεσιν κρόταφος. ἢ ὥς φησιν ὁ μέγας Θεσσαλονίκης, οὗ τὸ κλέος περίπυστον, κρόταφος ὁ μέσον τῆς κάρας, τῶν ὤτων καὶ τοῦ φωτὸς κείμενος [Moschopoulos])
Comment
Compositional etymology. The starting point is the assumption that -ταφος is the second member of a compound. Accordingly, two etymologies can be proposed, one with τάφος1 "tomb" – it is the second etymology mentioned by Coeroboscus – and one with τάφος2 "astonishment" – it is the first etymology mentioned by Choeroboscus. Obviously, the identification of the alleged second member as τάφος1 or τάφος2 implies that the first member will be different. In this etymology, it is assumed to be the verb "to hit", already found in another etymological proposal (see κρόταφος / κρούω + ἁφή), and here used in the passive (κρουόμενος). A blow to the temple leaves one unconscious, or at least astonished, paralyzed by stupor.