Κρής + φεύγω
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Transliteration (Etymon)
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Quotation
Κρησφύγετα. φρούρια, καταφύγια, ἐν οἷς ἐκρύπτοντο οἱ νησιῶται τὸν Μίνοα φεύγοντες. τὸ οὖν κρησφύγετον ἔλεγον τὸ χρήσιμον τοῖς φεύγουσιν εἰς ἀσφάλειαν.
Translation (En)
Krēsphugeta "refuges": strongholds, refuges in which the islanders fleeing (pheugontes) Minos used to hide. So, they called krēsphugeton what was useful (khrēsimon) to the fugitives (pheugousin) for their safety
Parallels
Συναγωγή λέξεων χρησίμων (versio antiqua) kappa 462 (κρησφύγετα· τὰ πρὸς τοὺς χειμῶνας στενὰ καὶ ὀχυρώματα. οἱ δέ φασιν ὅτι Κρῆτες τοὺς νησιώτας ἅμα Μίνῳ τῷ βασιλεῖ θαλασσοκρατοῦντι ἔφυγον εἰς σπήλαιά τινα, ὅθεν ἐκεῖνα ὠνομάσθησαν Κρησφύγετα); Photius, Lexicon, kappa 1085 (idem); Lexica Segueriana, kappa, p. 283 (idem); Suda, kappa 2403 (idem); Scholia in Lucianum 65.11 (idem); Eustathius, Comm. Od., vol. 1, p. 421 (Ὁ δὲ Μίνως ἐκτείνει τὴν ἄρχουσαν. ὀλοόφρων δὲ ὁ τοιοῦτος. τοῖς κακούργοις δηλαδή. ἐξεκάθῃρε γὰρ λῃστῶν τὴν θάλασσαν, οἳ καὶ φεύγοντες τοῦτον ἐκάλουν κρησφύγετα τὰς καταγωγὰς τῆς ἐκ τοῦ τοιούτου κρητὸς φυγῆς αὐτῶν); ibid., vol. 2, p. 198 (ἐπειδὴ τὴν θάλασσαν ἐξεκάθαιρε λῃστῶν, ἐξ ὧν καὶ τὰ κρησφύγετα ὠνόμασται, ὅπου δηλαδὴ αὐτοὶ τὸν τοιοῦτον Κρῆτα ἢ τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν Κρῆτας ἔφευγον); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 346 (Κρησφύγετα, φρούρια καὶ φυγαί τινες ὄντα, ἐν οἷς ἐκρύπτοντο οἱ νησιῶται τὸν Μίνωα φεύγοντες· τὸ οὖν κρησφύγετον ἔλεγον τὸ χρήσιμον τοῖς φεύγουσιν εἰς ἀσφάλειαν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 537-538 (Κρησφύγετα: Φρούρια τινὰ οὕτω λεγόμενα, ἐν οἷς ἐκρύπτοντο οἱ νησιῶται τὸν Μίνωα φεύγοντες· παρὰ τὸ κριτὴν αὐτῶν εἶναι Κρῆτα. Τὸ οὖν κρησφύγετον ἔλεγον σπήλαιον χρήσιμον τοῖς φεύγουσιν εἰς τὸ κρύπτεσθαι); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, kappa, p. 2256 (Κρησφύγετα. φρούρια τινὰ οὕτω λεγόμενα, ἐν οἷς ἐκρύπτοντο οἱ νησιῶται τὸν Μίνωα φεύγοντες. παρὰ τὸ Κρῆτα αὐτὸν εἶναι. τὸ οὖν κρησφύγετον ἔλεγον χρήσιμον τοῖς φεύγουσιν εἰς τὸ κρύπτεσθαι)
Comment
Compositional etymology. The compound boundary is correctly identified as κρησ-φύγετον. Orion provides two etymologies, apparently without understanding that they are different (however, this may be because of the abbreviator rather than Orion himself). The first one, involving Minos, assumes that the etymon is Κρής "Cretan", for Minos was king of Crete. So, those who were trying to escape his attacks were "Cretan-fugitives", meaning "fleeing the Cretan". The second etymology is different, it involves as the first etymon the adjective χρήσιμος "useful", and the refuges are indeed useful to fugitives. It has nothing to do with the first etymology. Yet, it is presented as the real etymology, while the etymology by "Cretan" is not mentioned, becoming a descriptive account of the circumstances. The correct wording is preserved in later sources