μήνη

Word

Validation

Yes

Word-form

μήν

Transliteration (Word)

mēn

English translation (word)

month

Transliteration (Etymon)

mēnē

English translation (etymon)

moon

Author

Epimerismi homerici

Century

9 AD ?

Source

Idem

Ref.

Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, mu 19

Ed.

A.R. Dyck, Epimerismi Homerici: Pars altera. Lexicon αἱμωδεῖν [Sammlung griechischer und lateinischer Grammatiker (SGLG) 5.2], Berlin - New York: De Gruyter, 1995: 59-761.

Quotation

μήν (Β 292): γίνεται παρὰ τὸ μήνη, ὃ σημαίνει τὴν σελήνην· δι’ αὐτῆς γὰρ τελειοῦται ὁ μήν. ἢ παρὰ τὸ μεῖον, τὸ μικρόν, γίνεται μείην καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν μήν, ἡ εἰς ἄκρον ἐλάττωσις καὶ ἀποτερμάτωσις τῆς σελήνης

Translation (En)

Mēn "month" (Il. 2.292) comes from mēnē, which means "moon", because the month is accomplished through the moon. Or from meion "lesser", that which is small, one obtains meiēn and through syncope mēn, the lessening and ending of the moon

Comment

This etymology is right in relating "month" to "moon" (the calendar was based on lunar months), but the correct relationship between the two Greek words is the opposite, as μήνη "moon" is derived from μήν / μείς "month". Other sources give the correct derivation μήν → μήνη, for instance Orion and Choeroboscus (see Parallels)

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum, mu, p. 103 (μήν· παρὰ τὸ μεῖος. ὁ αὐτὸς ἀνὴρ οὕτω φησί. μεῖος μειήν· καὶ συγκοπῇ μήν· ἀφ’ οὗ καὶ ἡ μήνη); Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos p. 120 (τὸ δὲ μήνη παρὰ τὸ μειοῦσθαι καὶ ἐκλείπειν, ἢ παρὰ τὸ μὴν μηνός); Etym. Gudianum, mu, p. 391 (same explanation as the Epimerismi homerici); Etym. Gudianum, sigma, p. 504 (same explanation as Choeroboscus); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 583, s.v. μείς (same definition as the Epimerismi homerici)

Modern etymology

Μήν, μείς is the old word for "moon", attested in all IE languages, which then took on the meaning "month" in may languages, hence the new derivative μήνη "moon" in Greek (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Modern Greek has μήνας "month", which is a remodeling after the old accusative μῆνα. There also are μηνιαίος, 'monthly' and μηνιάτικο 'a month's salary'.

Entry By

Le Feuvre