ἔλαφος

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Word-form

ἐλαφρός

Transliteration (Word)

elaphros

English translation (word)

light (adj.)

Transliteration (Etymon)

elaphos

English translation (etymon)

deer

Author

Orion

Century

5 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Etymologicum, epsilon, p. 57

Ed.

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

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

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.

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)

Modern etymology

Ἐλαφρός is within Greek related to ἐλαχύς "small", PIE *h1ln̥̥gwh-ro-, found also in Vedic raghú- "quick, light, small", Goth. leihts "light, easy" (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

The word is used in Modern Greek along with ελαφρύς denoting 1. the opposite of 'heavy', 2. the 'tolerable', 3 (in literature) the 'easily accessible', 4. a superficial person. There also is the adverb ελαφρώς/ελαφρρά/ελαφριά

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