ἵζω

Word

Validation

No

Last modification

Sun, 08/09/2026 - 08:45

Word-form

ῥίζα

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ

Transliteration (Word)

rhiza

English translation (word)

root

Transliteration (Etymon)

hizō

English translation (etymon)

to sit, to make to sit

Author

Herodian

Century

2 AD

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, rho, p. 140

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ῥίζα. δι’ ἧς ῥέει τὸ ζῆν ἄνω τοῖς δένδροις. τινὲς δὲ φασὶ πλεονασμὸν εἶναι τοῦ ρ, ἵζα τις οὖσα, παρὰ τὸ προϊζάνειν τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἔγκειται ἡ ἔρα ἡ γῆ, ἔριζά τις οὖσα, κατ’ ἀποβολὴν τοῦ ε   [NB: Sturz prints ῥέα]

Translation (En)

Rhiza "root". The one through which life flows upwards in the trees. But some say it arose by addition of the /r/, being a *hiza, as it were, from "to sit" (proïzanein) in the ground, and it contains the word era "earth", being a *eriza, as it were, by apocope of the /e/

Comment

Derivational etymology requiring one formal change between the etymon and the lemma, the loss of the initial consonant. The root is "seated" in the ground. The etymon ἵζω is replaced by the derived form προϊζάνω in Orion. The presence of this etymology in Choeroboscus' De orthographia indicates that it was found in Herodian

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. Darmstadino 2773), p. 616 (ῥίζα, οἱ μὲν, δι’ ἧς τὸ ζῆν ῥέει τοῖς δένδροις· οἱ δὲ ἀποβολῆ τοῦ ρ, ἵζα τὶς οὖσα, ἀπὸ ἱζάνειν τῆ γῆ); Choeroboscus, De orthographia (epitome), p. 256 (Ῥίζα: Ἀπὸ τοῦ ἴζω, ἴζα, καὶ προσθήκῃ τοῦ ρ ῥίζα· ὥσπερ τὸ κνίζω, κνίσω, καὶ κνίσα); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 146 (εὐρίζωι, ἡ εὐθεῖα εὔριζος· γίνεται παρὰ τὸ εὖ μόριον καὶ τὸ ῥίζα, τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ τὸ ἕζω, καθέζομαι); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, rho 10 (ῥίζα (cf. Ι 542 alibi): δι’ ἧς ῥέει τὸ ζῆν ἄνω τοῖς δένδροις. ἢ διὰ τὸ ῥᾷον ζῆν. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἵζω, τὸ καθέζομαι, ἵζα καὶ ῥίζα); Etym. Gudianum, epsilon, p. 562 (Ἐπιμερισμῶν τοῦ Ψαλτηρίου Εὐρίζῳ <Ps. 47, 3>· ἡ εὐθεῖα εὔριζος, καὶ γίνεται παρὰ τὸ εὖ μόριον καὶ τὸ ῥίζα. τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ τὸ ἵζω, τὸ καθέζομαι, ἵζα καὶ ῥίζα· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ῥέειν δι’ αὐτῆς τὸ ζῆν); ibid., p. 492 (Ῥίζα, δι’ ἧς ῥέει τὸ ζῆν ἄνω τοῖς δένδροις· ἢ διὰ τὸ ῥᾷον ζῇν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἕζω τὸ καθέζομαι, ἵζα καὶ ῥίζα); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 235 (οἷον κνίζω, κνίσω, κνίσα· ἵζω τὸ καθέζομαι, ἵζα, ῥίζα); ibid., p. 704 (Ῥίζα: Δι’ ἧς ῥέει τὸ ζῆν ἄνω τοῖς δένδροις· παρὰ τὸ ῥέειν δι’ αὐτῆς τὸ ζῆν· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἵζω, τὸ κάθημαι, ἵζα καὶ ῥίζα, παρὰ τὸ προσιζάνειν ἐν τῇ γῇ· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἔρα, ἡ γῆ, ἔριζά τις οὖσα, κατὰ ἀποβολὴν τοῦ ε)

Modern etymology

Older *ϝρίζα, cf. Myc. wi-ri-za. Cognate with Lat. rādīx, Engl. root, Welsh gwraidd "roots" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Yes

Entry By

Le Feuvre
View PDF