ἀ- + ὕω

Validation

Yes

Word-form

αὖος

Transliteration (Word)

auos

English translation (word)

dry

Transliteration (Etymon)

a- + huō

English translation (etymon)

not + to rain

Author

Apollonius Dyscolus

Century

2 AD

Reference

Rhematikon

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, alpha p. 2

Ed.

F.W. Sturz, Orionis Thebani etymologicon, Leipzig, 1820

Quotation

Αὖος, ὁ ξηρός, ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕω· ἀΰω, ἄϋος, καὶ κατὰ συναίρεσιν αὖος, ὁ μὴ ὑγρός· οὕτως Ἀπολλώνιος ἐν τῷ Ῥηματικῷ

Translation (En)

Auos "dry" is from huō "to rain" : a-üō, a-üos, and through contraction auos, that which is not humid. This is what Apollonius says in his Rhematikon

Comment

The adjective is parsed as a derivative of a compound verb with the privative alpha (which remains implicit in Orion's formulation, but see below, Parallels), as often for words with initial [a]. It is a descriptive etymology. The fact that the privative prefix a- is never used to build a negative verb remained unnoticed even by Apollonius, who starts from a *ἀ-ὕει "it does not rain" (see αὕω / ἀ- + ὕω). The Greeks derived αὗος from αὕω "to dry": in modern terms, the relationship must be reversed, as αὕω, attested only in grammatical literature, is certainly not a primary verb but either a denominative or rather a back formation from αὗος

Parallels

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1406 (Αὖος· ὁ ξηρός. ἔστιν ῥῆμα ὕω, τὸ σημαῖνον τὸ βρέχω, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α ἀΰω καὶ κατὰ συναίρεσιν αὔω, ἐξ οὗ ῥηματικὸν ὄνομα αὖος, ὁ μὴ ὑγρός, ἀλλ’ εἰς αὖσιν καὶ καῦσιν ἐπιτήδειος); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, alpha 375 (αὔω: εἰ μὲν τὸ ξηραίνω δηλοῖ, γέγονε παρὰ τὸ ὕω, τὸ βρέχω, καὶ τὸ στερητικὸν α ἀΰω καὶ αὕω); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 233 (Αὖος· ὁ ξηρός· κατὰ στέρησιν τοῦ ὕω ἀΰω ἄϋος καὶ κατὰ συναίρεσιν αὖος, ὁ μὴ ὑγρός. οὕτως Ἀπολλώνιος); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 170 (Αὖος: Ὁ ξηρός· ὄνομα ῥηματικόν. Ἐκ τοῦ ἀΰω, τὸ οὐ βρέχω, ἢ ἐκ τοῦ αὔω, τὸ ξηραίνω, γίνεται αὖος, ὁ μὴ ὑγρὸς, ἀλλ’ εἰς αὖσιν καὶ καῦσιν ἐπιτήδειος); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1 p. 324 (αὔω· τὸ ξηραίνω· παρὰ τὸ ὕω, τὸ βρέχω, μετὰ τοῦ στερητικοῦ α ἀΰω καὶ κατὰ συναίρεσιν αὔω, τὸ ἐξ ἀνομβρίας γινόμενον); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 340 (Αὖος. ξηρός. ἔστιν ὕω ῥῆμα τὸ βρέχω, καὶ στερήσει τοῦ α ἀΰω καὶ ἐν συναιρέσει αὔω, ἐξ οὗ αὖος)

Modern etymology

Αὗος, Ion. αὖος, is an old adjective inherited from PIE *sauso- (*h2s-us-) “dry”, cognate with Lith. saunas “dry”, OCS suxъ ‘id.’, Vedic śoṣa- ‘drying’ (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

No

Entry By

Le Feuvre