ἐπί + οὖρος
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Quotation
Κρήτῃ ἐπίουρον. τοῦτο τριχῶς ἀνεγνώσθη. Ζηνόδοτος γάρ, ὡς ἐπίκουρον, ἐκδεχόμενος βασιλέα καὶ φύλακα. καὶ Ἀρίσταρχος δὲ οὕτως, ἐκδεχόμενος τὸν φύλακα, μέμνηται δὲ καὶ ὁ Δίδυμος τῆς ἀποδόσεως καὶ Τρύφων. ἐκεῖνο δὲ προστίθησιν ὁ Τρύφων, ὅτι ὁ ἐπίουρος, ὡς ἐπίσκοπος, οὐ πάντως ἔχει ἐγκείμενον τὸν οὖρον τὸν φύλακα κατὰ ταύτην τὴν ἀπόδοσιν· τί γὰρ κεκώλυκε παρὰ τὸ ὁρῶ εἶναι ἐπίορον καὶ ἐπίουρον τὸν ἐπιορῶντα, ἐψιλῶσθαι δὲ διὰ τὴν ἐπένθεσιν τοῦ υ;
Translation (En)
Krētēi epiouron (Il. 13.450). This has been interpreted in three different ways. Zenodotus understood the word as "king" and "guardian" (epikouron). Similarly, Aristarchus understood the word to mean "guardian". Didymus and Tryphon also mention this explanation. And here is the suggestion by Tryphon: epiouros "guardian", as episkopos "watcher", does not contain at all the word ouros "guardian", in this explanation. For what opposes the idea that from horaō "to see" is derived *epioron, and epiouron the one watching over (epiorônta), and that the word then loses its aspiration due to the epenthesis of /u/?
Parallels
Herodian, Περὶ Ἰλιακῆς προσῳδίας, Lentz III/2, p. 87 (idem); Herodian, Περὶ Ὀδυσσειακῆς προσῳδίας, Lentz III/2, p. 156 (ὅς τοι ὑῶν ἐπίουρος: ἐπίσκοπος. δύναται ἡ πρόθεσις εἶναι καὶ ἐν πλεονασμῷ, ἵν’ ᾖ ἐφορῶν καὶ ἐπιβλέπων· ἢ παρέλκει ὡς τὸ βοῶν ἐπιβουκόλος); Scholion Od. 13.405 (idem); Apollonius Soph., Lexicon homericum, p. 104 (Κρήτῃ ἐπίουρον. οἱ μὲν κατ’ ἀναστροφὴν ἀναγινώσκουσιν, καὶ περισπῶσι τὴν οὖρον, ἵν’ ᾖ ἐπὶ τῇ Κρήτῃ φύλακα· οἱ δὲ περισσήν φασιν εἶναι τὴν ἐπί, ὡς καὶ “βοῶν ἐπιβουκόλος ἀνήρ.” ἡμεῖς δὲ συνθέτως ἐπίουρος, οἷον ἐπιφύλαξ, ὃν τρόπον καὶ ὁ τεκτονικὸς λέγεται [δὲ] ἐπίουρος ὁ ἐπιφυλάσσων καὶ συνέχων τὰ συναρμοζόμενα ξύλα); Hesychius, Lexicon, epsilon 5033 (ἐπίουρος· εἰ μὲν προπερισπωμένως περισσὴ ἡ πρόθεσις· οὖρος γὰρ ὁ φύλαξ. εἰ δὲ προπαροξυτόνως πάλιν ὁ φύλαξ, ἀπὸ ξυλίνου ἐπιούρου)
Comment
Aristarchus assumed that ἐπίουρος "guardian" was a compound of οὖρος "guardian". Later sources say that in this case the prefix is useless (περισσός), especially if the word has a circumflex on /ou/ ἐπιοῦρος. The latter accent is that of the simplex and was found in some versions of Homer (see ἐπίουρος / οὖρος)