δέρμα

Validation

Yes

Word-form

καταδαρθάνειν

Transliteration (Word)

darthanō

English translation (word)

to sleep

Transliteration (Etymon)

derma

English translation (etymon)

skin, hide

Author

Suda

Century

10 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

kappa 518

Ed.

A. Adler, Suidae Lexicon, Leipzig: Teubner, 1928-1935

Quotation

Καταδαρθάνειν: κατακοιμίζεσθαι. κυρίως δὲ καταδαρθεῖν ἐστι τὸ ἐν δέρμασι κατακοιμηθῆναι. Ἀριστοφάνης Πλούτῳ· ἔτι δ’ οὐχ ἕξεις οὔτ’ ἐν κλίνῃ καταδαρθεῖν

Translation (En)

Katadarthanein "to sleep"; katadartheîn means properly "to sleep on hides" (en dermasi). Aristophanes' Plutus (527) "you will no longer be able to sleep in a bed"

Comment

This etymology originates probably in the context of Odyssey 14.518-519 where Eumaeus lays for Ulysses a bed made of sheep and goat hides (τίθει δ᾿ ἄρα οἱ πυρὸς ἐγγὺς | εὐνήν, ἐν δ᾿ ὀΐων τε καὶ αἰγῶν δέρματ᾿ ἔβαλλεν). Scholiasts sought confirmation in Aristophanes' Plutus 527 (see Parallels). The etymology relating the word to δέρμα implies starting from the aorist δαρθεῖν in order to have the proper phonetic sequence. The usual etymology is then given as an alternative. Notice that there is no semantic relationship between "so sleep" and "hide": from the semantic point of view, what matches δαρθἀνω "to sleep" is καθευδῆσαι, and "on hides" is only an adverbial phrase; the relationship between lemma and etymon is established over the verb (see a similar structure in χείρων / χείρ). It is interesting that under δραθεῖν the same Lexicon Symeonis does not mention this etymology but only the explanation deriving it from "to be inactive" (see δαρθάνω / δράω 1), providing thus two different etymological explanations for δραθεῖν and δαρθεῖν

Parallels

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 285 (Δραθεῖν καὶ Δραθέειν: Σημαίνει τὸ κοιμᾶσθαι· καὶ καταδαρθεῖν, τὸ κοιμηθῆναι. Καὶ δραθεῖν καθ’ ὑπέρθεσιν, ὡς καρδία, κραδία. Εἴρηται δὲ παρὰ τὸ δέρμα· δραθεῖν γὰρ κυρίως λέγεται τὸ ἐπὶ δερμάτων καθευδῆσαι. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ δρῶ, τὸ ἐνεργῶ, παράγωγον δρήθω, τὸ κοιμῶμαι, κατὰ ἀντίφρασιν· οἱ γὰρ κοιμώμενοι οὐδὲν ἐνεργοῦσιν); Etym. Symeonis, delta 345 (Δαρθεῖν· τὸ κοιμηθῆναι· δραθεῖν καὶ καθ’ ὑπέρθεσιν ὡς κραδία καρδία εἴρηται δὲ παρὰ τὸ δέρμα, κυρίως γὰρ τὸ ἐπὶ δερμάτων καθευδῆσαι λέγεται δαρθεῖν. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ δρῶ τὸ ἐνεργῶ γίνεται δρήθω τὸ κοιμῶμαι κατὰ ἀντίφρασιν. Οἱ γὰρ κοιμώμενοι οὐκ ἐνεργοῦσι); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, delta p. 473 (Δαρθεῖν. κυρίως τὸ ἐπὶ δερμάτων καθευδῆσαι); Id., delta p. 573 (Δραθεῖν καὶ δραθέειν. παρὰ τὸ τοῖς δέρμασι δαρθεῖν, ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ δερμάτων καθευδῆσαι. σημαίνει δὲ καὶ κατὰ ἀντίφρασιν τὸ κοιμᾶσθαι); Scholia in Aristophanem, Plutus 527b (καταδαρθεῖν R: κυρίως “καταδαρθεῖν” τὸ “ἐν δέρμασι κοιμηθῆναι”); Scholia in Aristophanem, Nubes 38 (καταδαρθεῖν V: κυρίως τὸ ἐπὶ δέρματος κοιμᾶσθαι)

Modern etymology

Probably from PIE root *der- found also in Latin dormio "I sleep", Vedic drāti "he sleeps" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre