ἀράσσω
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Reference
Edition
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
παρὰ τὸ ἀράσσω ἀράχνιον ὡς δέμω δέμνιον, παίζω παίγνιον.
p. 480, 49 τὸ ἴχνιον προπαροξυτονητέον ὁμοτόνως τῷ ἀράχνιον· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ὑποκοριστικόν, ἀλλ’ ἀπὸ ῥήματος ἐσχημάτισται
Translation (En)
From arassō "to smite" is derived arakhnion "spiderweb", as from demō "to build" demnion "bedding", from paizō "to play" paignion "toy".
The word ikhnion must be proparoxytone with the same accent as arakhnion. Because it is not a diminutive but is derived from a verb
Parallels
Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1107 (Ἀράχνια θ 280· τὰ ὑφάσματα τῆς ἀράχνης, οἷον "ἠΰτ’ ἀράχνια λεπτά·" παρὰ τὴν ἀραιότητα, ὅ ἐστι λεπτότητα· ἀραιόν γὰρ τὸ λεπτόν. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀράσσω ἀράχνιον, ὡς δέμω δέμνιον, παίζω παίγνιον· ἤγουν τὸ εὔσχιστον. ἢ τὸ ἐνηρμοσμένον· χνοῦς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἐνηρμοσμένος καὶ ἀνυφανθείς); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 135 (idem); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha p. 302 (idem); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 255 (Ἢ ὡς παίζω παίγνιον, ἀράσσω ἀράχνιον, οὕτως δέμω δέμνιον); Scholia in Dionysii Thracis Artem grammaticam, Schol. vaticana p. 226 (ἔστι δὲ ῥηματικόν· ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ δέμω δέμνιον καὶ ἀράσ<σ>ω ἀράχνιον, οὕτως ἵκω ἴχνιον, ὑπερθέσει τοῦ πνεύματος)
Comment
This etymology is of the descriptive type, the spiderweb being easy to destroy. It relies on the analogical principle of Alexandrian grammarians and brings other examples of the same derivation pattern for nouns in -νιον from verbal forms. It is a striking examples of the rather common insensitivity to derivation in Greek etymology: ἀράχνη and ἀράχνιον, although clearly belonging together, are provided with two different etymologies.