αἱρέω + ὄφις

Word

Validation

Yes

Last modification

Fri, 10/21/2022 - 13:40

Word-form

ἔλαφος

Word-lemma

LSJ

Etymon-lemma

LSJ-1 .
LSJ-2

Transliteration (Word)

elaphos

English translation (word)

deer

Transliteration (Etymon)

haireō + ophis

English translation (etymon)

to seize + snake

Author

Physiologus

Century

2/4 AD

Source

Idem

Ref.

Physiologus (redactio secunda) 4

Ed.

F. Sbordone, Physiologus, Rome: Dante Alighieri-Albrighi, Segati, 1936 (repr. Hildesheim: Olms, 1976)

Quotation

διὰ τοῦτο ἔλαφος ὀνομάζεται, διὰ τὸ ἑλεῖν τοὺς ὄφεις ἐκ βάθους

Translation (En)

That is where the "deer" (elafos) gets its name from, because it "catches" (elein) "snakes" (ofeis) from the depths (of the earth)

Comment

This etymology is a variant of the older one parsing the word as a compound of ἐλαύνω (see ἔλαφος / ἐλαύνω + ὄφις). The first element is understood as meaning "to seize" (ἑλεῖν, aorist of αἱρέω), which probably refers to the explanation of the deer as snake-catcher (see ἔλαφος / ἕλκω + ὄφις). The structure of the compound is the same

Parallels

Physiologus (redactio prima) 30 (ἔλαφος ἐκ τοῦ ἀνελεῖν τοὺς ὄφεις); Athanasius, Liber de definitionibus, MPG 28, 544 (καὶ ἔλαφος διὰ τὸ ἑλεῖν τοὺς ὄφεις); Anastasius Sin., Viae dux 2.4., l. 147 (idem); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, epsilon, p. 450 (Ἔλαφος· ἔλοφός τις οὖσα παρὰ τὸ ἑλεῖν τοὺς ὄφεις· ἢ ὁ ἐν ἕλει τὰς διατριβὰς ἔχων· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐλλός, τὸ ἔλαφος, παρήχθη παραγ⟦ώγ⟧ως ἔλ⟦α⟧φος, ὡς κ⟦όρ⟧σ⟦η⟧ κό⟦ρ⟧σαφος καὶ ἐν ὑ⟦περβιβασμῷ⟧ καὶ τροπῇ τοῦ ⟦ς⟧ εἰς τ κρό⟦τα⟧φος. ⟦οὕτως οὖν ἔλαφος⟧); Joannes Mauropus, Etymologica nominum 308-309 (Φύσει δ’ ἐλαφρὸς ἔλαφος πρὸς τὸν δρόμον, | ἑλὼν ὄφεις, ἔλαφος οἷς ἐχθρὸς φύσει); Etym. Magnum, Kallierges p. 326 (Ἔλαφος: Τὸ ζῷον· ἢ διὰ τὴν κουφότητα καὶ τὸ τάχος, ἐλαφρή τις οὖσα· ἢ διὰ τὸ ἕλκειν τοὺς ὄφεις καὶ ἀναιρεῖν διὰ τῶν μυκτήρων· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐλαύνειν τοὺς ὄφεις· ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔλος, ἔλαφος· ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἑλεῖν τοὺς ὄφεις, ἕλοφός τις οὖσα. Τούτους γὰρ ἐσθίουσα καθαίρεται φυσικῶς); Scholia in Oppianum, Hal. 238 (Ἔλαφον· ἔλαφος ἢ διὰ τὴν κουφότητα καὶ τὸ τάχος, ἐλαφρά τις οὖσα, ἢ παρὰ τὸ ἑλεῖν καὶ φονεύειν τοὺς ὄφεις, ἢ διὰ τὸ ἐν ἕλει ἢ ἐν τῷ δάσει φαίνεσθαι); Ps-Zonaras, Lexicon, epsilon, p. 685-686 (Ἔλαφος. ἡ διὰ τῆς κουφότητος καὶ τοῦ τάχους ἐλαφρά τις οὖσα. ἢ διὰ τὸ ἑλεῖν τὰς ὄφεις καὶ ἀναιρεῖν διὰ τῶν μυκτήρων. ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἕλους ἔλαφος, ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐλαύνειν τὰς ὄφεις)

Modern etymology

Derivative of the old name of the deer, PIE *h1el-n-, found in Slavic jelenь, Lith. élnis, Arm. ełn (Beekes, EDG)

Persistence in Modern Greek

The usual word in Modern Greek is ελάφι, while the older έλαφος is preserved as a learned form

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