πάλλω

Validation

Yes

Word-form

πηλός

Transliteration (Word)

pēlos

English translation (word)

mud, dregs

Transliteration (Etymon)

pallō

English translation (etymon)

to leap, to brandish

Author

Herodian

Century

2 AD

Reference

Symposion

Edition

Lentz III/2, p. 905

Source

Orion

Ref.

Etymologicum, pi, p. 138

Ed.

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

Quotation

Πηλός. ὁ οἶνος. παρὰ τὸ πάλλειν καὶ σείειν ἡμᾶς πίνοντας. Ἡρωδιανὸς ἐν Συμποσίῳ

Translation (En)

Pēlos ("dregs") means "wine"; it comes from the fact that it makes us leap (pallein) and move quickly (seiein) when we drink. This is what Herodian says in his Symposion

Comment

"Dregs" is a specialized meaning of πηλός, which primarily means "mud". Here it is taken as a metonymic equivalent for wine itself, and etymologized though a reference to one of the effects of wine drinking. Formally, the etymology relies on two well-known alternations, between [l] and [ll], and between [ē] and [ă]

Parallels

Orion, Etymologicum, alpha, p. 30 (Ἄμπελος, Ἡρωδιανὸς φησὶν ἐν Ἐπιμερισμοῖς ἀνάπηλος, παρὰ τὸ ἀναδοῦναι τὸν πηλὸν, τοῦτ’ ἔστι, τὸν οἶνον. πηλὸς δὲ ὁ οἶνος, παρὰ τὸ πάλλειν καὶ σείειν ἡμᾶς πίνοντας); Orion, Etymologicum (excerpta e cod. regio 2610), p. 178 (Κάπηλος· πηλὸν τὸν οἶνον λέγουσιν Ἴωνες, τὸν πάλλοντα καὶ βλάπτοντα τὰς φρένας); Etym. Gudianum, kappa, p. 298 (idem); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 685 (Ἄμπελος· παρὰ τὸ <***> ἀνάπηλός τις οὖσα, ἡ ⟦μὴ⟧ ἔχουσα ἐν ἑαυτῇ τὸν πηλόν, ἤγουν τὸν οἶνον. ἢ παρὰ τὸ πάλλειν καὶ σείειν ἡμᾶς πίνοντας); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 86 (idem); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 150 (idem); Epimerismi homerici in Iliadem 1, 584c (ὅθεν καὶ κάπηλος, ὁ τὸν πηλὸν χέων, τουτέστιν ὁ τὸν οἶνον πωλῶν. εἴρηται πηλὸς ὁ οἶνος ἀπὸ τοῦ πάλλειν καὶ κραδαίνειν ἡμῶν τὴν καρδίαν, ὅθεν καὶ ἡ μέθυσις κραιπαλισμὸς λέγεται); Epimerismi homerici ordine alphabetico traditi, kappa 54 (πηλὸς δὲ ὁ οἶνος ⸤παρὰ Ἀτ⸥τικοῖς παρὰ τὸ πάλλειν καὶ καταβάλλειν τὰς φρένας, ἐξ οὗ καὶ κά⸤πηλος παρὰ τὸ χ⸥έειν τὸν πηλόν); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 117 (Ἄμπελος· παρὰ τὸ ἄμπελος· πηλὸς γὰρ ὁ οἶνος, διὰ τοῦ ποιεῖν πάλλειν καὶ πηδᾶν); Etym. Gudianum, pi, p. 466 (Πηλὸς, ὁ οἶνος, παρὰ τὸ πάλλειν, ὅ ἐστι πηδᾷν καὶ ταράσσειν τοὺς πίνοντας. Πηλὸς, ὁ οἶνος, παρὰ τὸ πάλλω τὸ σείω, οἱ γὰρ πίνοντες αὐτὸν σείονται, ὅθεν καὶ κραιπάλη ἡ μέθη); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 123 (πηλὸς δὲ ὁ οἶνος ⸤παρὰ Ἀτ⸥τικοῖς παρὰ τὸ πάλλειν καὶ καταβάλλειν τὰς φρένας, ἐξ οὗ καὶ κά⸤πηλος παρὰ τὸ χ⸥έειν τὸν πηλόν); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 670 (Πηλός: Ἐκ τοῦ πάλλω ἢ παλάσσω, τὸ βρέχω καὶ μολύνω, γίνεται πηλὸς, ἡ βεβρεγμένη γῆ. Πηλὸς λέγεται καὶ ὁ οἶνος, παρὰ τὸ πάλλειν καὶ σείειν ἡμῶν τὰς φρένας· οἱ γὰρ πίνοντες αὐτὸν, σείονται· ὅθεν καὶ κραιπάλη)

Modern etymology

Unknown

Persistence in Modern Greek

Πηλός "mud" is preserved in Modern Greek

Entry By

Le Feuvre