ἔλαφος
Word
Validation
Word-form
Word-lemma
Etymon-lemma
Transliteration (Word)
English translation (word)
Transliteration (Etymon)
English translation (etymon)
Century
Source
Ref.
Ed.
Quotation
Ἐλαφρός. παρὰ τὸ κουφότατον ζῶον τὴν ἔλαφον· ἐλαφηρὸς καὶ συγκοπῇ ἐλαφρός
Translation (En)
Elaphros "light": it comes from the name of the lightest animal, the deer (elaphos), *elaphēros and through syncope elaphros
Parallels
Etym. Gudianum, epsilon, p. 451 (Ἐλαφρός· ... παρὰ τὸ ἔλαφος ἐλαφηρός καὶ συγκοπῇ ἐλαφρός ἀπὸ τοῦ ζῴου); Eustathius, Comm. Il. 3, 923 Van der Valk (ἐκ τῆς ἐλάφου δὲ παρῆκται καὶ συγκέκοπται ὁ ἐλαφρός); ibid. 4, 800 (καὶ ὅτι ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλάφου τὸ ἐλαφρὸν κυρίως ἐπὶ ποδῶν, οἳ κοῦφα θέοντες ἐλαφροὶ ἂν κυρίως λέγοιντο ὡς οἷον ἐλαφηροί. ὠκύπους γὰρ ἡ ἔλαφος); Eustathius, Comm. Od. 1, 44 (καὶ τὸ ἐλαφρότεροι πόδας ὅ ἐστιν ἐλαφηροὶ καὶ ταχεῖς δίκην ἐλάφου, κυριολεκτεῖται μᾶλλον μεταφορικῶς, ἤπερ τὸ πλέειν ἐλαφρῶς. ὡς τὸ, τά οἱ πλώοιεν ἐλαφρῶς. καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖνο οἰκειοῦται τῇ ἐλάφῳ, οὐχ ὡς ταχυδρόμῳ μέντοι ἀλλ’ ὡς κούφῃ νήχεσθαι); ibid. 1, 211 (τὸ δὲ χρήσιμον αὐτῶν, ἵνα κατὰ τὸν ποιητὴν πλώοιεν ἐλαφρῶς. ὃ πρὸς ὁμοιότητα ἐῤῥέθη τοῦ τρέχειν ἐλαφρῶς. ἐπὶ ἐμψύχων γὰρ κυρίως τὸ ἐλαφρόν. ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλάφου παραχθὲν συγκέκοπται); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 326 (Ἐλαφρός: Εὐκίνητος, ἐλεφός τις ὤν· ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλάφου, ἥ ἐστι κουφότατον καὶ εὐκίνητον); Etym. Symeonis, epsilon 280 (idem); Scholia Od. α 164b Pontani (ἐλαφρότεροι] ἐλαφρότερος ἐτυμολογεῖται ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔλαφος, ἐλαφηρός καὶ ἀφαιρέσει τοῦ η ἐλαφρός); Scholia Od. γ 370b Pontani (ἐλαφρότατοι] καὶ ταχεῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ “ἔλαφος”, “ἐλαφυρὸς” καὶ “ἐλαφρός); Scholia in Hesiodum, Op. 415 (Ἐλαφρὸς δὲ, ὁ ταχύς. Ἐκ τοῦ ἔλαφος, ἐλαφηρός. Tzetzes)
Comment
This etymology derives the adjective from the name of a prototypical being displaying the quality referred to, here quickness. Semantically, it implies a comparative meaning "like a deer". It implies a formal manipulation, a syncope in the assumed derivative *elaphēros, a ghost word.