ἀναρριχάομαι
Word
Validation
Yes
Word-form
ἀράχνη
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
arakhnē
English translation (word)
spider
Transliteration (Etymon)
anarrikhacmai
English translation (etymon)
to climb
Century
5 AD
Source
idem
Ref.
Etymologicum, alpha, p. 611
Ed.
F.W. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, 1820
Quotation
ἀράχνη παρὰ τὸ ἀηραριχᾶσθαι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀραιὰ ἴχνη ἔχειν, ἥγουν λεπτά
Translation (En)
"Spider" (arakhnē) is from anarrikhâsthai "to climb", or from the fact that it has thin, that is, slender, footsteps
Parallels
Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos, p. 143 (ἀράχνη παρὰ τὸ ἀναριχᾶσθαι, ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀραιὰ ἴχνη ἔχειν); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 183 (Ὠρίωνος. Ἐπιμερισμῶν τοῦ Ψαλτηρίου. Ἀράρει· τὸ ἁρμόσει. ἀραρεῖ δὲ σημαίνει τὸ ἀναβαίνειν εἰς ὕψος, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ἀράχνη παρὰ τὸ ἀναρριχᾶσθαι εἴρηται); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 134-135 (Ἀράχνης: Παρὰ τὸ ἀναρριχᾶσθαι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀραιὰ ἴχνη ἔχειν, ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ποδῶν ἀραιότητος)
Modern etymology
The word is connected with Lat. arāneus "spider" but has no etymology. It may be a loanword both in Greek and in Latin (Beekes, EDG)
Persistence in Modern Greek
Αράχνη is used in Modern Greek as 'spider' and also in the phrase "γυναίκα-αράχνη" to designate a dangerous woman who traps men. There also is adjective άραχνος 'miserable', αραχνιάζω 'give myself up', αραχνοϋφαντος 'subtly weaven' (Triandafyllidis DMG)
Entry By
Le Feuvre
Comment
The spelling in Orion is a mistake, the correct spelling is given by Choeroboscus, and in another place of Orion's Etymologicum under ἀράχνιον (alpha, p. 8-9 ράχνια, παρὰ τὸ ἀναῤῥιχᾶσθαι εἴρηται). This is a descriptive etymology, which implies a formal manipulation, namely a metathesis of [n] and a syncope of [I]. It was bijective, as ἀράχνη was also given as the source of ἀναρριχάομαι by Herodian (see ἀναρριχάομαι / ἀράχνιον).