εἴργω

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No

Last modification

Tue, 08/04/2026 - 12:35

Word-form

εἱρκτή

Transliteration (Word)

heirktē

English translation (word)

inclosure, prison

Transliteration (Etymon)

eirgō

English translation (etymon)

"to fence in, to shut out"

Author

Philoxenus

Century

1 BC

Reference

fr. 477*

Edition

C. Theodoridis, Die Fragmente des Grammatikers Philoxenos [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 2. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1976

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, epsilon, p. 63

Ed.

F. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, Weigel, 1820

Quotation

(Theodoridis) εἱρκτή· ἐκ τοῦ εἵργω, τὸ κωλύω, ὁ μέλλων εἵρξω καὶ εἱρκτή

Translation (En)

heirktē "prison" : from eirgō "to hinder", the future is heirxō, and heirktē

Comment

Correct derivational etymology

Parallels

Herodian, Περὶ ορθογραφίας, Lentz III/2, p. 502 (εἱρκτή: ἡ φυλακή διὰ τῆς ει διφθόγγου. τοῦ γὰρ εἵργω τὴν δίφθογγον ἐφύλαξεν); Pollux, Onomasticon 8.72 (εἰρχθῆναι ἐν ξύλῳ, ἐν τῇ ποδοκάκῃ. εἰργμός εἰρκτή); Orion, Etymologicum, epsilon, p. 63 (Εἱρκτή. εἵργω· ὁ μέλλων εἵρξω· καὶ εἱρκτή); Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), epsilon, p. 613 (εἰρκτὴ, παρὰ τὸ εἴργω εἵρξω); Theognostus, Canones sive De orthographia 89 (σεσημείωται τὸ εἴργω τὸ κωλύω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ εἰρκτὴ διὰ τῆς ει διφθόγγου· καὶ μήποτε παρὰ τὸ ἔργω ἐστὶν ἐν πλεονασμῷ τοῦ ι, καὶ οὐ γνησίαν ἔχει τὴν δίφθογγον); Choeroboscus, De spiritibus, p. 214 (σημείωσαι δὲ, ὅτι τὸ εἱρμὸς καὶ εἱρκτὴ, κᾂν τὸ μὲν, ἀπὸ τοῦ Εἴρω, τὸ συμπλέκω, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ Εἴργω, τὸ κωλύω, γίνονται, δασύνονται); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, epsilon, p. 428 (Εἱρκτή· φυλακή· ἐκ τοῦ εἵργω, τὸ κωλύω, [οὗ] ὁ μέλλων εἵρξω καὶ εἱρκτή); ibid., p. 517 (⟦Ἔ⟧ργω· σημαίνει δύο· τὸ κωλύω, ὃ καὶ εἵργω λέγεται, ἐξ οὗ καὶ εἱρκτή· καὶ ἔργω, τὸ παχύνω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ἔρξαι, τὸ παχῦναι); Eustathius, Comm. Od., vol. 2, p. 79 (γίνεται δὲ τὸ ἕρξαν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔργω, οὐ τοῦ δηλοῦντος τὸ πράττω, ὃ καὶ τρισυλλάβως ἐέργω λέγεται, ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ ἔοργα, ἀλλὰ τοῦ σημαίνοντος τὸ ἐγκλείω, ἀφ’ οὗ τὸ εἴργω τὸ παρ’ Ἀττικοῖς δασυνόμενον, ὡς ἡ εἱρκτὴ δηλοῖ καὶ ἡ κάθειρξις); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 303 (Εἱρκτή: Παρὰ τὸ εἴργω, τὸ κωλύω· τοῦτο ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐέργω, κατὰ κρᾶσιν τῶν δύο ΕΕ εἰς τὴν ΕΙ δίφθογγον); Etym. Symeonis, epsilon 183 (Εἰρκτή· παρὰ τὸ εἴργω, τὸ κωλύω· εἴρξω εἶρχα εἶργμαι εἶρξαι εἶρκται εἰρκτή); ibid., epsilon 819 (<Ἔρχαται καὶ> ἔρχατο· ἀπὸ τοῦ εἴργω· ἐξ οὗ καὶ εἰρκτή, ὁ παρακείμενος εἶρχα εἶργμαι εἶρκται)

Modern etymology

Derivative of εἴργω "to fence in" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG still has ειρκτή as a juridical term

Entry By

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