ἅλις

Validation

No

Last modification

Fri, 08/21/2026 - 11:50

Word-form

ἤλιθα

Transliteration (Word)

ēlitha

English translation (word)

very much

Transliteration (Etymon)

halis

English translation (etymon)

in plenty

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, alpha, p. 27

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ἅλις, τὸ ἐπίῤῥημα, δηλοῦν τὸ δαψιλὲς καὶ πολύ. παρὰ δὲ τὸ ἅλις ἅλιθα, καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς η, ἥλιθα πολλὴν ἐκ παραλλήλου.

Translation (En)

Halis "in plenty", adverb, meaning "densely" and "much". And from halis is derived *halitha, and by change of /a/ to /ē/ ēlitha pollēn, "very much abundant" (Il. 11.677), in parallel

Comment

Derivational etymology, relying on the familiar alternation α ~ η. The lack of initial aspiration in ἤλιθα is not taken into account. The etymon and the lemma are more or less synonymous

Parallels

Hesychius, Lexicon, eta 358 (ἤλιθα· ἀθρόως, δαψιλῶς, χύδην. παρὰ τὸ ἅλις. οἱ δὲ μάτην, εἰκῆ); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 488 (Ἅλις (Β 90)· τὸ πλῆρες καὶ κεκορεσμένον, αὐτάρκως ἅμα (l. c.)· ‘αἱ μέν τ’ ἔνθα ἅλις πεποτήαται, αἱ δέ τε ἔνθα’. ἔστι δὲ ἐπίρρημα πρωτότυπον, ἀφ’ οὗ ἅλιθα καὶ ἥλιθα. δύναται δὲ καὶ παρὰ τὴν ἅλα εἶναι, πολλὴν οὖσαν καὶ μεγάλην); Etym. Gudianum, eta, p. 240 (Ἤλιθα, πολλὰ, παρὰ τὸ ἅλις ὅ ἐστι δαψιλῶς ἢ ἀθρόως. ἠλίθιον δὲ τὸν ἀλιταίνοντα, ὅ ἐστιν ἁμαρτάνοντα, παρὰ τὸ ἅλις, ἅλιθα καὶ ἥλιθα, ὡς ἄπειρος ἤπειρος. καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ ματαίως τάττεται, ἐπέχραον ἤλιθα χερσὶν, ἀντὶ τοῦ ματαίως); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 89 (Ἅλις· τὸ ἐπίρρημα δηλοῦν τὸ δαψιλῶς καὶ πολύ· παρὰ δὲ τὸ ἅλις τὸ ἅλιθα καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ α εἰς η <Λ 677> „<ἤλιθα> πολλήν“ ἐκ παραλλήλου); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 428 (Ἤλιθα πολλή: Ἀντὶ τοῦ μάλα ἢ πάνυ πολλή. Ἔστι δὲ ἐπίρρημα ἀθροίσεως, καὶ σημαίνει τὸ σφόδρα, ἢ ἀθρόως. Γίνεται παρὰ τὸ ἅλις ἅλισθα, καὶ ἤλισθα. Τάττεται καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ ματαίως· οἷον, ‘ἐπέχραο ἤλιθα χερσί’. Τὸ ματαίως); Commentaria in Dionysii Thracis Artem grammaticam, Scholia Vaticana, p. 280 (Τὸ ἤλιθα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἅλις ἅλιθα <καὶ> ἤλιθα); ibid., Scholia Londiniensia, p. 563 (τὸ ἤλιθα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἅλις ἅλιθα καὶ ἤλιθα); Scholia in Aratum 254-255 (ἤλιθα πᾶσαι Πληιάδες: τὸ μὲν ἤλιθα ἀθρόως, παρὰ τὸ ἅλις· ἔνθεν καὶ ἁλίαν οἱ Δωριεῖς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καλοῦσιν); Schol. Od. 5.483c2 Pontani (ἤλιθα] λίαν, ἀπὸ τοῦ “ἅλις” καὶ τοῦ “θα” ἐπιτατικοῦ μορίου); Schol. Od. 9.330 Dindorf (ἤλιθα] χύδην, παρὰ τὸ ἅλις· ἢ ἀθρόως, δαψιλῶς)

Modern etymology

Belongs with ἠλεός ‘crazed’. Etymology unknown (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre