ἅλιος2
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
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Ed.
Quotation
Ἠλίθιος, ὁ ἀνόητος, παρὰ τὴν ἅλα. ταύτης γὰρ τὸ ὕδωρ ἄχρηστον. ἔνθεν καὶ ἅλιον τὸ μάταιον, καὶ ἀλὼς παράγωγον τοῦ ἀλῶ· ἀφ’ οὗ ἀλήτης. ἀπὸ τούτου καὶ ἕτερον παράγωγον ἀλεὸς ἐρύη, καὶ αὐτὸ ἠλεὸς Ἰωνικόν.
Translation (En)
ēlithios "fool", from hals "sea", for sea water is useless. Hence halion "in vain", and alōs, derived from alô "to wander", from which comes alētēs "wanderer". And another derivative is aleos, and ēleos in Ionic
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum, eta, p. 240 (Ἠλίθιος σημαίνει τὸν ἀνόητον, γίνεται παρὰ τὸ ἄλιος ἀλίϊος, πλεονασμῷ τοῦ θ ἀλίθιος, καὶ ἠλίθιος, ὁ πάντα χύδην ποιῶν); ibid., p. 230 (Ἠλίθιος, ὁ μάταιος, παρὰ τὴν ἅλα, ταύτης γὰρ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀχώριστον, οἷον, ἀλάθιος); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 427 (Ἠλίθιος: Ὁ ἀνόητος καὶ μωρός· παρὰ τὸ ἅλιον, τὸ μάταιον. Ἐκ τοῦ ἅλιος οὖν, ἀλίϊος· καὶ πλεονασμῷ τοῦ θ, ἀλίθιος καὶ ἠλίθιος. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἤλιθα ἐπίρρημα, ὁ πάντα χύδην ποιῶν, καὶ ἀδιακρίτως. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ λίθος, πλεονασμῷ τοῦ α. Ἢ παρὰ τὴν ἅλα)
Comment
Derivational etymology. The etymon of ἠλίθιος is ἅλιος "vain", itself assumed to be a derivative of ἅλς "sea", for sea water is useless (i.e. not drinkable). In Orion's wording the etymon of the etymon is provided as the direct etymon of the lemma. The derivation is preserved in later sources. The "foolish" one is the one who acts in vain