ἐξεάω or ἐξίημι

Validation

No

Word-form

ξένος

Transliteration (Word)

xenos

English translation (word)

guest-friend, host, stranger

Transliteration (Etymon)

exeaō or exiēmi

English translation (etymon)

to let go

Author

Etymologicum Gudianum

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum Gudianum, xi 415.4-5

Ed.

F.W.Sturz, Etymologicum Graecae linguae Gudianum et alia grammaticorum scripta e codicibus manuscriptis nunc primum edita, Leipzig: Weigel, 1818

Quotation

Ξένος, παρὰ τὸ ἔξω εἶναι· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἐξεωμένον εἶναι ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων

Translation (En)

Xenos ("host"), from "to be out", or from the fact that he has been sent out (exeōmenon) by his relatives / he has been let free to go (exeōmenon) away from his relatives

Comment

There are six main etymologies given by the ancient lexicographers for this word. As most competing etymologies, this one implies a compound with ἔξω as its first element. The second element here may be either ἐάω "to let", which implies that the stranger / host is somehow free from social and family bonds (ἐξεάω is attested only in Late Greek, although not in the passive, and in that case it is a present participle) or ἵημι, which implies that the stranger / host is sent forth (ἐξίημι is very well attested, but the passive perfect stem -εωμαι is poorly attested and in fact never with ἐξ-; this is the solution adopted by the editor)

Parallels

No parallel. Likely implicitly hinted at in Demosthenes (In Midiam 60 : μὴ προσκαλέσασθαι πρὸς τὸν ἄρχοντ’ ἐξεῖναι, ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ ξένον τις ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐβούλετο)

Modern etymology

Ξένος (Ionic ξεῖνος) is from ξένϝος. It may go back to *ghs-en-, displaying the zero grade of *ghes- found in Lat. hostis "stranger, enemy", hopes "host", Got. gasts "host". Beekes (EDG) thinks it is Pre-Greek.

Persistence in Modern Greek

The word is still used in MG to designate 1. someone/something not belonging to me, 2. a foreign citizen, 3. unknown, 4. not belonging to a family. MG also has neut. pl. "τα ξένα", as 'away from homeland' and masc. pl. "οι ξένοι", meaning 'people hosted'

Entry By

Arnaud Zucker