δαήμων

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Word-form

δαίμων

Transliteration (Word)

daimōn

English translation (word)

divine being

Transliteration (Etymon)

daēmōn

English translation (etymon)

experienced, wise

Author

Plato

Century

4 BC

Source

Id.

Ref.

Cratylus 398c1-4

Ed.

Burnet, Platonis Opera, Oxford UP, 1903

Other translation(s)

Modern Greek: και γίνεται δαίμων ('πνεύμα') σύμφωνα με την ονομασία της "φρόνησης"· κι εγώ σύμφωνα με αυτή θεωρώ κάθε σοφό άνθρωπο "δαιμόνιο", είτε είναι ζωντανός είτε νεκρός και σωστά καλείται δαίμονας.

Comment

Derivational etymology implying one formal change, that of η into ι. The divine being is the "knowing" one. A variant of this etymology gives the etymon as a ghost verb *δάω (*δαίω) "to know", deduced from δαήμων, ἐδάην "I learned", δαείω "that I may know" (Homeric subjunctive) in order to account for δαήμων (Etym. Gudianum)

Parallels

Apollonius Soph., Lexicon homericum, Bekker p. 56 (δαίμονες οἱ θεοὶ οἱονεὶ δαήμονες ὄντες· οἱ γὰρ θεοὶ πάντα ἴσασιν. ἢ ὅτι πάντα μερίζουϲιν, ἀπὸ τοῦ δάσασθαι); D Schol. Il. 1.222 (Οὕτως δὲ δαίμονας καλεῖ τοὺς θεοὺς, ἤτοι δαήμονας· ἔμπειροι γὰρ καὶ ἴδριες πάντων αὐτοί εἰσιν); Hesychius, Lexicon, delta 73 (δαίμονες· οἱ θεοί, δαήμονές τινες ὄντες, r οἷον ἔμπειροι· ἢ ὅτι πάντα μερίζουσιν, ἀπὸ τοῦ δάσασθαι); Epimerismi homerici in Iliadem 1.222 (δαίμονας: τοὺς θεούς, οἱονεὶ δαήμονας, ἔπεισιν· ἔμπειροι γὰρ καὶ ἴδριες πάντων εἰσίν); Joannes Mauropus, Etymologica nominum 16 (Δαίμων δαήμων καὶ κακῶν πολλῶν ἴδρις); Etym. Gudianum Additamenta, delta, p. 328 (Δαίμονες· παρὰ τὸ δαῆναι τὰ πάντα, ἢ μερίζειν τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τὰ κακὰ); ibid., delta, p. 329 (Δαίμων· ὁ πάντα εἰδώς. παρὰ τὸ δαίω, τὸ γινώσκω· ὁ εἰδήμων πάντων. | Δαίμων· παρὰ γὰρ τὸ δαίω, τὸ γινώσκω· ὁ εἰδήμων πάντων); Schol. vet. Hesiodi Op. 122a (δαίμονας καλεῖ παρὰ τὸ δαῆναι ἤτοι γνῶναι τὰ πάντα ἢ μερίζειν τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ κακὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις)

Bibliography

Pellizer E. 2011. « La nozione di dàimon nella Grecia arcaica (fino a Platone escluso)”, in: Eusébeia. Estudios de religión griega, Calderón Dorda E., Morales Ortiz, A. (edd.), Madrid: 255-272.

Modern etymology

Chantraine (1970, 247): "Δαίμων" derives from “δαίομαι”, meaning ‘to attribute, to divide’

Persistence in Modern Greek

"Δαίμονας" instead of "δαίμων" (MG plural: "δαίμονες" ) is used in Modern Greek to denote 'the spirit(s) of evil'

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