ἀναθρώσκω + ὁράω

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Sat, 10/22/2022 - 19:00

Word-form

ἄνθρωπος

Transliteration (Word)

anthrōpos

English translation (word)

man, human

Transliteration (Etymon)

anathrōskō + horaō

English translation (etymon)

leap upon, rush over + to see

Author

Etymologicum Gudianum

Century

11 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum Gudianum, alpha, p. 147

Ed.

E.L. de Stefani, Etymologicum Gudianum, fasc. 1 & 2, Leipzig: Teubner, 1:1909; 2:1920

Quotation

Ἄνθρωπος· παρὰ τὸ ἀναθρώσκειν καὶ ἀναλογίζεσθαι, ἃ ὄπωπεν

Translation (En)

anthrōpos ("man") comes from the fact that he "rushes over" (anathrōskein) and reflects upon what "he has seen" (opōpe)

Comment

This orphan etymology, as proven by the comparison with similar texts glossing the verb in ‘reflect upon’ (ἀναλογίζεσθαι) is likely a lapsus calami (for  ἀναθρεῖν); see Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 109 : Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀναθρεῖν ἃ ὄπωπεν, ἤγουν ἀναλογίζεσθαι ἃ εἶδε καὶ ἤκουσε ; Etym. Genuinum, alpha p. 885 : <Ἄνθρωπος> · παρὰ τὸ ἄνω †θρεῖν ἃ ὄπωπεν, ἤγουν ἀναλογίζεσθαι ἃ εἶδεν καὶ ἤκουσεν); etc. De Stefani (ad loc.) suggests that ἀναθρώσκειν could be a corruption for ἀναθεωρεῖνSee ἀναθρῶ + ὄπωπα

Parallels

There is no other occurrence of this etymon (or lapsus calami?) for anthropos

Modern etymology

Mycenaean a-to-ro-qo shows that the word has as its second element ops "sight, aspect" and not ops "voice". The identification of the first element of the compound remains debated. Beekes (EDG) thinks it is Pre-Greek

Persistence in Modern Greek

The word is still used in MG with the meaning ‘man’, primarily denoting the superior rank of mammals, having as attributes the standing position, reason and articulated language, by distinguishing mankind from other animals (Triandafyllidis, Dict. of MG)

Entry By

Arnaud Zucker