ἄνω

Word

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Fri, 10/21/2022 - 13:15

Word-form

ἀνήρ

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ

Transliteration (Word)

anēr

English translation (word)

man (male)

Transliteration (Etymon)

anō

English translation (etymon)

to accomplish

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, alpha p. 16

Ed.

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

Quotation

Ἀνήρ, παρὰ τὸ ἄνω, ὃ ἐστὶν ἀνύω. πρακτικὸν γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ ἢ ἡ γυνή

Translation (En)

Anēr "man", from anō, that is, anuō "to accomplish", because the man is more active than the woman

Comment

This etymology is often found in Greek sources, it is formally simple and semantically referring to the social roles of men and women in Greek society. A variant gives as the etymon the form ἀνύω of the same verb (see Parallels). The presence of an initial aspiration in Attic (ἁνύω, ἅνω) whereas ἀνήρ has none was not a concern for Greek scholars, who were used to the coexistence of forms with and without rough breathing according to dialects and selected the one interesting for their purpose. As far as aspiration is concerned, since late koine was psilotic, the non aspirate Ionic form was regularly taken as the starting point because it matched the pronunciation of the time. This initial aspiration in Attic is mentioned only by Choeroboscus, where it does not constitute an objection

Parallels

Choeroboscus, Epimerismi in Psalmos p. 6 (Ἀνήρ ὀνόματος ἐστὶ γένους ἀρσενικοῦ, εἴδους παραγώγου, εἴδους τῶν παραγώγων, ῥηματικοῦ. Πόθεν γίνεται; Παρὰ τὸ ἀνύω, τὸ τελειῶ καὶ πράττω, ἀνὴρ, ὥσπερ παρὰ τὸ αἴθω, τὸ καίω, αἰθὴρ, καὶ ἄω, τὸ πνέω, ἀὴρ, ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἀνύω ἀνυὴρ, καὶ ἐν συγκοπῇ ἀνήρ· ἀνυστικώτερος γὰρ καὶ πρακτικώτερος ὁ ἀνὴρ τῆς γυναικός. Τί πνεῦμα ψιλόν; Τὸ Α πρὸ τοῦ Ν ψιλοῦται· ἄνοι ἄνια (sic) ἄνεμος. Τὸ ἀνύω Ἀττικοὶ δασύνουσι); idem, Prolegomena et scholia in Theodosii Alexandrini canones isagogicos de flexione nominum p. 298 (οἷον παρὰ τὸ ἄνω τὸ σημαῖνον τὸ ἀνύω γίνεται ἀνήρ ἀνέρος, οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀνυστικώτερον τοῦ ἀνδρός); Sophronius, Excerpta ex Joannis Characis commentariis in Theodosii Alexandrini canones p. 401 (ἀήρ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄω, ἀνήρ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνύω, δαήρ ἀπὸ τοῦ δαίω); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 776 (Ἀνάσσω· τὸ βασιλεύω· ὡς πατῶ πατάσσω, σαλῶ σαλάσσω, ἀνῶ ἀνάσσω, τὸ σημαῖνον τὸ ἀνύω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ ἀνήρ. Μεθόδιος); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, alpha, p. 134 (idem); Etym. Symeonis, vol. 1, p. 20 (idem); Etym. Genuinum, alpha 875 (παρὰ τὸ ἄνω, τὸ σημαῖνον τὸ ἀνύω, οἷον Κ 251·‘μάλα νὺξ ἄνεται, ἐγγύθι δ’ ἠώς’, γίνεται ἀνύω καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἀνυήρ καὶ κατὰ συγκοπὴν ἀνήρ· πρακτικὸς γὰρ καὶ ἀνυστικός ἐστιν ὡς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα); Etym. Gudianum, alpha, p. 145 (Ἀνήρ· παρὰ τὸ ἀνύειν αὐτὸν καὶ πράττειν· ἀνυστικώτερος γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ τῆς γυναικός); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges, p. 107 (Ἀνήρ: Παρὰ τὸ ἄνω τὸ σημαῖνον τὸ ἀνύω […] γίνεται ἀνὴρ, ὥσπερ παρὰ τὸ αἴθω αἰθὴρ, καὶ ἄω, τὸ πνέω, ἀήρ. Ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἄνω ἀνύω γίνεται ἀνυήρ· καὶ συγκοπῇ, ἀνήρ· πρακτικὸς γὰρ καὶ ἀνυστικός ἐστιν ὡς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα); Tzetzes, Exegesis in Homeri Iliadem 1, 261 (ἀνὴρ παρὰ τὸ ἀνύω τὸ τελειῶ. ὁ ἀποτελεσματικὸς καὶ πληρωματικὸς ἢ ὁ ἀνύσας τὴν μειρακικὴν καὶ τὴν τῆς ἥβης ἡλικίαν); ibid. 1, 78 (ἄνδρα· ἀνύω τὸ τελειῶ, ἀνὴρ ὁ εἰς τελείαν ἡλικίαν πεφθακώς); Scholia in Oppianum, Hal. 2.315 (ἀνήρ· πολέμιος· παρὰ τὸ ἀνύω τὸ τελειῶ ἀνυὴρ καὶ ἀνήρ); Scholia in Odysseam, α 1f Pontani (ἀνὴρ παρὰ τὸ ἀνύειν δύνασθαι γέγονε, γυνὴ δὲ παρὰ τὸ γεννᾶν, ἄρσην δὲ παρὰ τὸ ἀρόσαι)

Modern etymology

PIE name of the "man", also found in Vedic nara- "man", Lat. Nerō, PIE *h2ner- (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

MG has the Medieaval form "άντρας" (Kriaras Dictionary of Medieaval Vernacular Greek, vol. 1), from the old accusative ἄνδρα). The stems ανδρ- and αντρ- are preserved in many compounds, such as "ανδροκρατία", "αντρογυναίκα" etc.

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