ἄρδω

Validation

Yes

Word-form

ἄρσην

Transliteration (Word)

arsēn

English translation (word)

male

Transliteration (Etymon)

ardō

English translation (etymon)

to give to drink, to irrigate

Author

Herennius Philo

Century

1-2 AD

Reference

Fragmentum 17, Jacoby 3c.790F

Edition

F. Jacoby, Fragmenten der griechischen Historiker, Leiden, Brill, 1923-1958

Source

Etym. Genuinum

Ref.

Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1237

Ed.

F. Lasserre and N. Livadaras, Etymologicum magnum genuinum. Symeonis etymologicum una cum magna grammatica. Etymologicum magnum auctum, vol. 1, Rome: Ateneo, 1976

Quotation

Ἀρσινόη· πόλις ἐν Συρίαι ἐπὶ βουνῶι κειμένη· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ βουνοῦ πηγὰς ἐξερεύγεσθαι πλείονας, καὶ ποταμοὺς γίνεσθαι μεγάλους, ἀφ’ ὧν ἡ πόλις ὠνόμασται· ἄρσαι γὰρ τὸ ποτίσαι, ἀφ’ οὗ καὶ ἄρσην ὁ τὴν γυναῖκα ποτίζων ἐν τῆι σπορᾶι. οὕτως Σερῆνος ἐν τῆι Ἐπιτομῆι τῶν Φίλωνος

Translation (En)

Arsinoe: city in Syria, located on a mountain. And on that mountain many springs spring forth and form large rivers, after which the city was named. Because arsai (aorist infinitive of ardein "to irrigate") means "to water", from which comes arsēn "male", he who irrigates the woman in insemination. This is what Herennius says in the Epitome of the works of Philo

Comment

It is not absolutely certain that the etymology of ἄρσην should be attributed to Herennius Philo (or Philo of Byblos), maybe only the etymology of the place name Arsinoe is his and the relative clause was added by the compiler. The explanation of the name of the male through the verb "to irrigate" is a functional etymology: the function of the male is to "irrigate" the female. From the formal point of view, no formal manipulation is required, as the aorist form provides the initial sequence [ars]. As often, the starting point is an inflected form and not the present stem

Parallels

Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 149 (idem); Ps.-Herodian, Peri gamou kai symbiōseōs (ap. Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 149), Lentz III/2, p. 904 (ἄρσην· παρὰ τὸ ἄρδω τὸ ποτίζω καὶ τὸ μετεγχέω· ὁ γὰρ ἀνὴρ τῇ γυναικὶ ἐπαρδεύει. ἄρδω ἄρσω ἄρσην ὁ ἄρδων τὴν θήλειαν. καὶ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο πόσις λέγεται ὁ ἀνὴρ παρὰ τὸ ποτίζειν τῇ γονῇ. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἔρδω τὸ πράττω· ὁ μέλλων ἔρσω καὶ ἄρσην ἐξ αὐτοῦ, τουτέστιν ὁ πρακτικός. οὕτως Ἡρωδιανὸς ἐν τῷ περὶ γάμου καὶ συμβιώσεως); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 1235 (idem); Ps.-Herodian, Peri pathôn (supplementum), Lentz III/2, p. 352 (ἄρσην: παρὰ ἄρδω τὸ ποτίζω ἄρσην ὁ ἄρδων τὴν θήλειαν—ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἔρδω τὸ πράττω. ὁ μέλλων ἔρσω καὶ ἄρσην ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ὁ πρακτικός. οὕτως Ἡρωδιανὸς ἐν τῷ περὶ γάμου καὶ συμβιώσεως); Etym. Gudianum, alpha p. 207 (Ἄρσην· παρὰ τὸ ἄρσαι, ὅ ἐστι ποτίσαι· τοῦτο δὲ διὰ τὴν γονήν. ἄρδω <ἄρσω> ἄρσην); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 207 (Ἄρσην· ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄρδω καὶ μέλλοντος τοῦ ἄρσω· ὁ ἄρδων τὴν θήλειαν τῇ γονῇ. Ἐπαφρόδιτος <fr. 3 Luenzner> δὲ παρὰ τὸ ἔρσαι· πρακτικὸς γὰρ λέγεται ὁ ἄρσην κατὰ διάλεκτον, καὶ ἐτυμολογεῖται παρὰ τὸ ἔρδω, ἵν’ ᾖ ὁ πρακτικός. οὕτω<ς> Ἡρωδιανὸς ἐν τῷ Περὶ γάμου καὶ συμβιώσεως); Eustathius, Comm. Od. 1, 9 (παρωνόμασται δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς πόσεως ὁ πόσις ὡς δοκεῖ τοῖς παλαιοῖς, διὰ τὴν σπερματικὴν ὑγρότητα. ὡς καὶ ὁ ἄρσην, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄρδειν. καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕειν); ibid. 1, 12 (ταύρων μὲν, διὰ τὸ γόνιμον τοῦ ὕδατος τὸ ἐκ τοῦ ἄρδειν, εἴγε καὶ ἄρσην λέγεται ἀνὴρ ὡς προείρηται. ἔτι δὲ καὶ πόσις ὁ αὐτὸς, ὡς γόνιμος); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 228 (ἄρσην· ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄρδω—2 τῇ γονῇ. ἢ παρὰ τὸ † ἄρδω, τὸ πράττω, ὁ μέλλων † ἄρσω, καὶ ἄρσην ἐξ αὐτοῦ, τουτέστιν ὁ πρακτικός); Ps.-Zonaras, Lexicon, alpha, p. 292 (καὶ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο πόσις λέγεται ὁ ἀνὴρ, παρὰ τὸ ποτίζειν τῇ γονῇ. ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄρδω τὸ πράττω, ὁ μέλλων ἄρσω καὶ ἄρσην ἐξ αὐτοῦ, τουτέστιν ὁ πρακτικός)

Modern etymology

Ἄρσην, Attic ἄρρην, Ionic ἔρσην, is the old inherited name of the male, matching Vedic vr̥ṣan- "bull, male" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

Άρρην "male" is preserved in Modern Greek

Entry By

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