ἔρως
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Reference
Edition
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
(Theodoridis) ἐρωτῶ· παρὰ τὴν ἔρωτος γενικὴν γέγονε ἐρωτῶ· ἐπειδὴ οἱ ἐρωτῶντες ὃ εὔχονται μαθεῖν τοῖς ἐρῶσιν ἐοίκασιν. οὕτω Φιλόξενος.
Translation (En)
Erōtaō: from the genitive erōtos "of love" comes erōtaō "to ask". For those who ask questions (erōtōntes) about what they wish to learn are similar to lovers (erōsi). This is what Philoxenus says
Parallels
Orion, Etymologicum, epsilon, p. 59 (Ἐρωτῶ. παρὰ τὴν ἔρωτος γενικήν. ἐπειδὴ οἱ ἐρωτῶντες οὗ εὔχονται τυχεῖν τοῖς ἐρῶσιν ἐοίκασιν. οὕτω Φιλόξενος); Etym. Parvum, epsilon 10 (Ἐρωτήσατε· παρὰ τὸ ἐρῶ, τὸ ἐπιθυμῶ· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ἔρως ἔρωτος ἐρωτῶ, ὁ μέλλων ἐρωτήσω, ὁ ἀόριστος ἠρώτησα, καὶ προστακτικὸν ἐρώτησον· περὶ οὗ γάρ τις ἐπιθυμεῖ περὶ τούτου καὶ ἐρωτᾷ); Etym. Gudianum, epsilon, p. 534 (Ἐρωτήσατε <Ps. 121, 6>· ... παρὰ τὸ ἐρῶ, τὸ ἐπιθυμῶ· τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ ἔρως ἔρωτος ἐρωτῶ, ὁ μέλλων ἐρωτήσω, ὁ ἀόριστος ἠρώτησα, καὶ τὸ προστακτικὸν ἐρώτησον καὶ τὸ πληθυντικὸν ἐρωτήσατε· περὶ οὗ γάρ τις ἐπιθυμεῖ περὶ τούτου καὶ ἐρωτᾷ); ibid., p. 535 (Ἐρωτῶ· παρὰ τὴν ἔρωτος γενικήν· οἱ γὰρ ἐρωτῶντες, οὗ ἐφίενται μαθεῖν, τοῖς ἐρῶσιν ἐοίκασιν. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἔρως ἔρωτος, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, ἐρῶ καὶ ἐρωτῶ· ὁ γὰρ ἐρωτῶν περὶ οὗ ἐπιθυμεῖ καὶ ἀκούει· τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ τὸ ῥῶ, τὸ λέγω); Etym. Symeonis, epsilon 823 (Ἐρωτῶ· παρὰ τὸ ἔρωτος γέγονεν ἐρωτῶ· οἱ γὰρ ἐρωτῶντες ὃ εὔχονται μαθεῖν, τοῖς ἐρωμένοις ἐοίκασιν); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, epsilon p. 876 (Ἐρωτῶ σε. […] παρὰ τοῦ ἔρωτος γενικὴν γέγονεν ἐρωτῶ. οἱ γὰρ ἐρωτῶντες ὃ εὔχονται μαθεῖν τοῖς ἐρῶσιν ἐοίκασιν)
Comment
Derivational etymology taking as its starting point an inflected form, contrary to the more common practice taking as its starting point the nominative form. The genitive provides the base ἐρωτ-. The semantic justification is a comparison: those who ask questions are pursuing their goal like lovers their loved ones