οἶμα
Word
Validation
No
Word-form
ὄμματα
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
omma
English translation (word)
eye
Transliteration (Etymon)
oima
English translation (etymon)
rush
Century
5 AD
Source
idem
Ref.
Etymologicum, omicron, p. 117
Ed.
F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820
Quotation
Ὄμματα. οἷον [ν]ἕματα καὶ οἴματα· ἐπεὶ δι’ αὐτῶν ἀφιᾶται καὶ ὁρμᾶται τὸ ὁρατικόν. Αἰολεῖς δὲ ὄππα τὰ παρὰ τοὺς ὦπας. (Orion's manuscript has νέματα, which is a mistake)
Translation (En)
Ommata "eyes", like *hemata "throwing" and oimata "rush", for through them the power of sight is emitted and rushes. And the Aeolians say oppata, from ōps "eye"
Parallels
Meletius, De natura hominis, p. 68 (ὄμματα δὲ, ὅτι δι’ αὐτῶν τὸ ὁρατικὸν ὁρμᾶται πνεῦμα· οἷον αἵματα καὶ ὄμματα· ἐπειδὴ δι’ αὐτῶν ἀφίεται καὶ ἀκοντίζεται τὸ ἐν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς πνεῦμα· οἱ δὲ Αἰολεῖς ὤπατα λέγουσι παρὰ τοὺς ὦπας); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 624 (Ὄμματα: Οἱονεὶ ἔματα καὶ οἴματα ὄντα, ἐπεὶ δι’ αὐτῶν ἀφίεται καὶ ὁρμᾶται τὸ ὁρατικόν. Αἰολικῶς ὄππατα παρὰ τοὺς ὄπας)
Modern etymology
Inherited *h3ekw-mn, from the root meaning "to see", Cognate with Lat. oculus etc. (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
MG still has όμμα as a learned word. The usual word for "eye" is μάτι (< ὀμμάτιον)
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
Derivational etymology. The light rushes outside of the eyes. The etymology requires one formal change, from /i/ to /m/